Of Happiness and Sorrow
by lighthawkdemon1
Summary: Tenchi and the gang go about normal business after the visit from the Royal Family, well as normal as you can get for a house filled with interstellar woman with amazing powers. Based off the events of Tenchi Muyo! OAV.
1. Washu's Interesting Discovery

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 1:  
  
Washu's Interesting Discovery  
  
It is the Masaki Residence late in the middle of the night, the door which once led to the broom closet and now leads to Washu's laboratory opens. Out walks Ryoko, looking very agitated, followed closely by the little scientist Washu. Ryoko stops in her tracks and turns around to Washu. "Now listen Washu, I don't care if you are my mom, what you just did to me was completely out of line," Her voice was still shaking from earlier when Washu bound and gagged Ryoko to one of her machines for study and left her alone.  
  
Washu looked up to her daughter surprised. She had never heard her sound so fragile before. Washu felt a pang of guilt, for she had purposely left Ryoko tied to her machines alone to see how she reacted. "Ryoko," she started, "I just wanted to see how much your assimilation with Zero affected you on an emotional basis. I was quite impressed with the results." She grinned at the ex-pirate.  
  
Ryoko however was beginning to look angry. "Damn you Washu! I don't care about all your stupid tests. You left me all alone there! I was getting very worried and."  
  
She stopped and looked away, but Washu had caught on to what she was saying. "You were scared?"  
  
Ryoko shook her head in disgust and mumbled, "Yeah."  
  
Washu's grin widened, "Why do you make it sound like it's such a bad thing? You are finally in touch with all of your emotions."  
  
Ryoko just continues to shake her head, "I didn't know that it was going to be like this. I can't control my feelings anymore. I hate this!" Ryoko turned away again, tears now forming in her eyes.  
  
She is about to fly away when Washu's voice stops her, but it sounds different, more mature. "I'm sorry Ryoko." Ryoko spins around to come face- to-face with Washu in her adult form.  
  
"Ryoko," she starts, "I wanted you and Zero to become one so you could be more open with your feelings and emotions. You saw how Tenchi cared for her after Dr. Clay tried to destroy her. Don't you want to be close to Tenchi like that?"  
  
Ryoko didn't answer but her face gave herself away, she began to blush. Washu smiled warmly, "I thought so. I did what I did so you and Tenchi could be closer. I want my daughter to be happy."  
  
She then walked up to Ryoko and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her. Ryoko was too stunned to do anything at first, but after a couple of seconds, she returned the hug. After a few minutes, Washu let go and looked at Ryoko, her eyes shining with tears. "Well, it's getting late now Ryoko, go on off to bed."  
  
Ryoko turned and started to fly away again but stopped. She took a deep breath and said, "Goodnight...Mom," and teleported to her room.  
  
Washu stood in front of her lab for a few seconds, then muttered, "That's my girl," before turning around and walking back into her lab.  
  
______  
  
The next day. Everything is going along normally. Katsuhito is in his office looking over some papers, Washu is in her lab going over some of the research she did with Ryoko last night. Tenchi is at the shrine sweeping and Ryoko is sleeping in a nearby tree. Tenchi looks over to Ryoko and smiles. He likes to watch her sleep, 'She always looks so peaceful and happy when she sleeps, nothing like when she is awake,' he thinks to himself. Mihoshi is also sleeping, but she is on the living room couch. Every couple of seconds, between snores, she mumbles about her police work. "Halt...you are in...unregistered...zone."  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile, Ayeka, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki are all in the kitchen. Sasami is trying to teach Ayeka to cook edible meals, with little luck, and Ryo-Ohki is in her human child form watching Ayeka's blundered cooking with interest.  
  
Ayeka finishes her "meal", which was supposed to be mixed vegetables, but looked nothing of the sort. She scoops up a rather ragged piece of carrot and turns to Ryo-Ohki. "How about a taste?" she says, "I'm sure you'll enjoy it!"  
  
Ryo-Ohki backs up a couple of steps and shakes her head vigorously. A giant bead of sweat forms on Sasami's head. Ayeka looks hurt. "You don't want to try it?" she asks with pleading eyes.  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked like she was about to give, but she held herself together and said quite defiantly, "No."  
  
Sasami has been working with Ryo-Ohki ever since she assimilated with the Mass and could turn into a human form. It has been only a few weeks, but Ryo-Ohki is quickly learning to walk around without falling over and speak a few words here and there. Since Ayeka has been constantly trying to learn to cook so she could impress Tenchi and use her as a guinea pig taste tester, Ryo-Ohki quickly learned how to say no, though not politely yet.  
  
______  
  
Washu, who was watching everything from the monitors in her lab, laughed gently. "Oh Ryo-ohki you poor thing," she sighed, "maybe you having a human form is more trouble than it's worth."  
  
Washu always likes to keep tabs of what's going on with her new family so she placed invisible monitors all around the Masaki Residence. Now she can stay in her lab all day and still know what is going on with everybody. A beeping noise diverted her attention from the monitor in the kitchen to the living room where Mihoshi was sleeping, but she was not there anymore. "Hmm," thought Washu out loud, "Where did she disap..."  
  
"Hellloooo Washu!" yelled a boisterous voice right behind the little genius. Washu jumped out of her cushion in surprise and fell onto the floor.  
  
"MIHOSHI!" she yelled, "What the He...how did you get in here?"  
  
The cheerful blonde just bent over and smiled at Washu and asked, "Whatcha doin?"  
  
Washu stood up and stared and the ditz. "I believe I asked you first."  
  
Mihoshi straightened up, looking shocked. "Oh my," she started, "How rude of me!" She put her index finger on here chin. "Of course, um...what was the question?"  
  
Washu fell over with a loud thud.  
  
______  
  
At the shrine, Katsuhito was busy with his work. He shuffled some papers and stacked them neatly on his desk. Though he was going to write down some more poems and Haikus, he couldn't think straight. He hasn't felt the same since his parents visited a few days ago. 'Should I tell them everything?' he thought to himself. 'What would they think of me if I did?' These unsettling questions have been running through him constantly, but he just couldn't bring himself to an answer.  
  
______  
  
Tenchi, who was still outside the shrine sweeping, had no idea of the internal conflict his grandfather was going through just several feet away. He just simply swept the sidewalk leading to the shrine like he usually does. He stopped sweeping when he heard the sound of something rustling nearby. He turned to see Ryoko, who just woke up and was stretching. "Ah Ryoko, you're awake!"  
  
Ryoko snapped her head over towards Tenchi and started to blush. She had started to sleep in the tree before Tenchi had come by to sweep, so she didn't know that he was there. "Tenchi! I didn't know you were here! How long have you been here working?" Ryoko could feel her face redden as she looked at Tenchi so she looked away and tried to calm herself down.  
  
A bead of sweat forms on Tenchi's head. "Uh, I've only been here for about ten minutes." Tenchi thought for a moment. He's never seen Ryoko act this emotional before. He suddenly felt braver around her. "You know you look really peaceful when you sleep."  
  
Tenchi started to laugh lightly at the effect of his words. Ryoko's entire head turned a deep shade of red as she turned to look at Tenchi, a look of complete shock on her face. "You...you watched me while I was asleep?"  
  
Tenchi worked hard to suppress his laughter. Though he was enjoying this, he didn't want to hurt her feelings. "I watched you a little bit while I was taking a small break." He smiled warmly at Ryoko, causing her to go, if possible, even redder.  
  
'What are you doing? Control yourself why don't you!? You look like a fool!' Ryoko screamed to herself. 'I can't,' answered a voice. Ryoko's eyes widened as she heard the voice for it was her voice, but she didn't think that. A thought suddenly dawned on her, "Zero," she said out loud.  
  
"Huh?" asked Tenchi, "What did you just say?"  
  
Ryoko looked down to Tenchi and saw a look of concern on his face. She shook herself out of her blush and started to talk to Tenchi again. "Oh nothing Tenchi, I...I was just thinking out loud. I think I'll go back to the house now." And with those words, she flew out of the tree and teleported away.  
  
Tenchi just smiled lightly and started to sweep the sidewalk of the shrine again.  
  
______  
  
Ryoko appeared in her room, looking furious with herself. "Damnit!" she said out loud, "I can't be around Tenchi like this! I need to be able to control myself!"  
  
______  
  
Washu, who was watching the entire event unfold, laughed mischievously at her daughter's antics. "I think Tenchi is actually warming up to her," she said out loud to no one in particular.  
  
She finally got Mihoshi to leave her lab, but it had taken a lot of persuading on Washu's part. "I had to promise that airhead to make sure that she doesn't crash in the house or lake anymore, but I think that Tenchi will like that better than her. Maybe he'll finally agree to give me that 'sample'!" She began to giggle at the thought.  
  
She is about to start again on her research when her stomach makes a loud rumbling sound. A giant sweat bead pops on her head. 'Oh my,' she thought, 'I guess I've been so consumed in my research that I forgot how hungry I was.' With that, Washu got off of her floating cushion and went out of her lab to get a snack.  
  
______  
  
"No Ayeka! You need to use ingredients that are fresher and less exotic!" Sasami pleaded. No matter how hard she worked with her sister, Ayeka still only wanted to make big, elaborate meals when she still had problems making simple little dishes.  
  
"Now Sasami don't be silly. I've been catching on and I think I know what I'm." She never got to finish her statement because she tried a bit of what she was cooking, and promptly passed out!  
  
Sasami let out a startled scream as she ran to her sister, "Ayeka! Ayeka! Are you alright?" Ryo-Ohki joined Sasami next to Ayeka. "Hurt?" was all she could say.  
  
"Let me guess, she tried some of her own cooking didn't she?" came a voice from behind.  
  
Sasami and Ryo-Ohki turned around to see Washu at the entrance to the kitchen. "Oh Washu," Sasami started, "is Ayeka going to be alright?"  
  
The little scientist walked to Ayeka and examined her slightly for a few minutes. She looked to Sasami and smiled slightly. "She's gonna be just fine, she's just passed out. It looks like she will be coming to in about an hour." Washu started to giggle. "I take it that her cooking lessons aren't going too well?"  
  
Sasami shook her head slightly. "No they aren't," was all she could say. Ryo-Ohki sighed deeply.  
  
Washu turned into her adult form and picked up Ayeka. "I'll put her in her room and if it isn't too much of a bother, could you make me a small snack?"  
  
Sasami pulled herself together and stood back up. "Sure Washu, I'll have something ready in a couple of minutes."  
  
"Thank you Sasami." Washu then took Ayeka out of the kitchen and up to her room while Sasami happily started making a snack for the genius.  
  
______  
  
Ten minutes later, Washu is merrily typing away on her computer while enjoying some of Sasami's rice balls. Another beeping sound diverts her attention back to the surveillance monitors, this time to Katsuhito's office at the shrine.  
  
He was acting very strangely, pacing back and forth with a strained look on his face. Washu was watching him very intently. 'Hmm,' she thought, 'Why is he acting like that? I think I'll keep a closer eye on him.'  
  
He suddenly stopped in his tracks. By the look of his face, he seemed to be seriously thinking about something. "But what?" thought Washu out loud. She was getting more and more excited by the minute thinking of what was going on.  
  
Washu loved a good mystery, and loved to be the one to solve them even more. Her face was mere centimeters from the monitor. She didn't want to miss anything.  
  
Katsuhito finally started to move again. He shook his head slightly while smiling and grabbed a small jug and cup that were sitting near his desk. He turned to the entrance of his shrine office and went outside.  
  
Washu quickly changed monitors to carefully watch Katsuhito, who was now walking away from the shrine.  
  
Tenchi looked up from his sweeping to see his grandfather leave his office. "Hello Grandpa, what are you up to?"  
  
"Oh nothing Tenchi," answered Katsuhito, "I just felt like going for a walk."  
  
Tenchi smiled at his grandfather "Alright then, have a nice walk."  
  
Katsuhito returned the smile, "I'll try to Tenchi, now get back to your sweeping."  
  
"Alright Grandpa."  
  
With those words, Tenchi went back to his sweeping and Katsuhito began to walk away. Washu watched the direction that Katsuhito was going off in, then frantically typed in some coordinates to see where he could be heading. After a couple of seconds, her computer pinpointed a location. The eccentric genius looked at the location. "Funaho."  
  
______  
  
Katsuhito stopped in front of his old spaceship tree. "Ah Funaho," he said, "it has been a long time since I last visited you." With one quick movement, he was standing on one of Funaho's thick branches. He sat down and started to drink what was in the jug he brought with him, Sake. Washu watched the old man with narrowed eyes.  
  
After a particularly long drink, Katsuhito looked up at his tree and sighed deeply. "Funaho, I want to tell them but I'm afraid of what they might say. Would they ever listen to me again, once they know that I have been lying to them all this time?"  
  
Washu was leaning so close to her monitor that she was practically falling off her cushion. She didn't dare to breathe.  
  
Suddenly several beams of colorful light came from Funaho, bouncing off the water and going straight up into the sky.  
  
Katsuhito looked surprised at first, but then began to laugh. "Yes you are right, I should not be concerned over this matter. I have face many trials and hardships throughout my life and come through them all quite well, but it is just that I have been like this for so many years and everyone is used to me like this. Do you think that they will accept my true form?"  
  
Katsuhito sighed deeply again and looked down at his old wrinkled hands. "Well, I am alone here with you so I guess I should drop this disguise. It does feel nice to be the real me once in a while"  
  
Washu gasped as Katsuhito's appearance changed from that of a man in his sixties to his true form of Yosho, the former crown prince of Jurai, who doesn't look a day older than the day he left Jurai over 700 years ago.  
  
"What!?" Washu screamed to the monitor. A second later she fell off of her cushion and went face first onto the floor. She quickly jumped up to look at her monitor again. "Katsuhito's appearance is a fake!?"  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: This is my first OAV fic. I happen to think that it is going along nicely.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Disguises and Surprises 


	2. Disguises and Surprises

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 2:  
  
Disguises and Surprises  
  
Washu stares at her computer monitor in shock. Just a couple of seconds ago, Washu saw Katsuhito change from an old man into the young former Jurai prince Yosho.  
  
______  
  
Of course Yosho did not know that Washu had been watching him. At the present, he is resting on his spaceship tree Funaho, drinking Sake and contemplating what he is going to do. Ever since his parents came to visit just a few days ago, he has thought about revealing his true form to everybody. But he has also thought of what could happen if he did.  
  
His first thoughts were of his half-sister Ayeka. 'What would she say?' thought Yosho. 'I know that her heart now beats for Tenchi, but I do sense that she still feels for me, though not as strong as before since she believes me now to be an old man. If she were to know that I still look as young as I did when I last saw her on Jurai, would her old feelings for me resurface?' Yosho shook his head at the thought. 'I do love Ayeka, but only as a sister. I can never see her as anything else.'  
  
He took another long drink of Sake. His next thoughts were of his grandson Tenchi. 'I don't think that Tenchi would enjoy the fact that I have lied to him his entire life by hiding behind a disguise and pretending to be an old man.' He sighed and began to talk to his spaceship tree again. "The others would probably feel the same."  
  
"Feel the same about what Yosho?"  
  
Yosho lost his balance and nearly fell out of his tree when he heard the voice. He regained his balance and stood up, trying to hide himself from view in the leaves. He began to speak, but in the voice he uses for his disguise. "Who's there?" he demanded. He heard the sound of someone laughing. It took him only a couple of seconds to recognize the voice. "Washu," he said lightly.  
  
"You don't have to hide from me," the little genius stated, "I know your secret."  
  
Yosho smiled lightly, "You've been spying on me Little Washu."  
  
Washu laughed again. "Well, yes and no. I've been spying, well watching, everybody, you know, to see what everybody is up to. I just happened to noticed that you were acting a little out of the norm so I followed you around to see what was going on."  
  
Yosho sighed, "And you followed me here and saw my true form."  
  
"Yes, and I was quite surprised, truthfully. You hid your true self quite well, even I didn't know, and it takes a lot to trick the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe I can tell you that!"  
  
Yosho chuckled lightly and sat back down so he could now see Washu and she could see him.  
  
"You know," Washu said with a slight note of interest in her voice, "You shouldn't hide from everybody with a disguise. Sometimes hiding from your problems will only make them worse when you finally decide to face them."  
  
Yosho jumped off of his tree back onto the ground and walked up to Washu. He couldn't help but notice that the scientist was eyeing him as he walked up to her.  
  
"Besides," she added, "You look a lot better like this."  
  
Yosho felt a slight flush come to his face while Washu giggled mischievously. He regained his composure after a couple of tense seconds and they began to walk along the path towards the shrine. "Well, it seems that you are right again Little Washu, I am quite surprised at how much you always seem to know."  
  
She looked at him for a little while, thinking heavily. She finally spoke up, "You know in this case, I don't speak from knowledge, I speak from experience."  
  
He looked at her. "What do you mean?"  
  
A small smirk appeared on her face. "This is what I mean."  
  
Yosho stood still, completely shocked at what he just saw. Washu just turned right before his eyes from a young woman, looking about twelve or so, onto a beautiful grown woman. Washu couldn't help but laugh at the look on Yosho's face. "I know I look good, but I didn't expect that kind of reaction from you!"  
  
It took Yosho a couple of seconds to regain himself. "Um...uh...well...it appears that we have more in common than we once thought." Yosho said uneasily.  
  
Ever since Washu arrived at the Masaki household, she and Yosho have been good friends. Indeed, he spent more time with her than any of the other girls, even his own sisters. He had always enjoyed the talks that the two of them had, and there had been a certain level of respect between the two. But now he was beginning to feel something else form between them, something...deeper.  
  
"Hello? Yosho are you there?"  
  
He suddenly realized that he had been quiet for several minutes and Washu had been trying to talk to him. "Oh, sorry about that, I was just deep in thought."  
  
"Well aren't you always?" Washu asked with a sideways smile.  
  
"I'm not always...well, now that you mention it, I guess I always am." Yosho admitted.  
  
Washu sighed, "We both use things to occupy our minds to hide the pain. I am always deep in research while you are deep in thought writing your Haikus or training with Tenchi."  
  
'Tenchi,' thought Yosho with a slight sense of concern. 'I can't tell him.them, not yet.' He looked over to Washu. "I can't tell him or any of them yet, I just don't feel ready to tell them the truth."  
  
Washu looked over to her friend with pity. 'He's afraid. And to think, the man who was brave enough to face off with Ryoko and defeat her is now afraid over something as simple as this!' "Yosho," Washu started, "Pretty much everyone else knows about me actually looking like this, I showed them all over a month ago. I was afraid to at first, but I knew that they would accept it if I explained it to them, and they did."  
  
Yosho looked slightly surprised. "So, they all know about you?"  
  
"Yeah, and you would have known sooner too if you had come down to eat dinner with us sometimes."  
  
"You come to dinner like this?"  
  
"Sometimes. I would usually come in wearing something exciting to see how Tenchi would react."  
  
Both she and Yosho started to laugh. He felt himself warming more and more up to the scientist. Before he knew what he was doing, he reached down and held her hand with his. Washu looked surprised and taken back for a moment, but smiled warmly at him and took his hand as well.  
  
Soon they were walking hand in hand towards the shrine. They were telling each other about secrets about them that they never told anyone else. In a very short time, they became closer than friends as a relationship between them developed. In no time at all, they had reached the shrine. They took a look around to see if anybody was there, but no one was.  
  
"I guess Tenchi finished with his chores and went back to the house." Yosho frowned and thought for a second. "By the way Washu, do you know what time it is?"  
  
"Um, yeah," said Washu, "it's about 6:30, so Sasami will be serving dinner soon."  
  
"Ah, that sounds nice. I think I will join in this time."  
  
Washu looked to Yosho excited. "Does that mean that." But he quickly interrupted. "No not yet." She began to look downtrodden. "But I will soon. Our talk made me feel more confident in myself. I just need a little more time."  
  
He looked at her and smiled, turning back into an old man. Washu looked up at him and returned the smile. She then gave him a kiss on the cheek and also changed into her disguise. The two of them walked down the steps to the Masaki household.  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile in the Masaki house, everyone is getting ready for dinner. Ayeka finally woke up and is helping Tenchi put the plates on the table. Sasami is happily making the dinner with Ryo-Ohki acting as her assistant. Ryoko and Mihoshi are sitting on the couch watching the news. "Ugh, why does this planet have to be so primitive? I hate that they don't have the ability to control the weather," moaned Ryoko as she watched the newscaster state that it would be rainy all day tomorrow.  
  
Ayeka gave Ryoko a disdainful look. "I do not know why you are so upset Ryoko, it is not like you do anything around the house besides sleep." She finished putting all the plates down on the table and sat next to Mihoshi on the couch.  
  
Ryoko looked up at Ayeka and was about to say something, but suddenly stopped and shook her head. "Ah I don't feel like arguing with you today."  
  
Ayeka nearly looked concerned at her rival. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"  
  
"Huh? Oh no, I'm just not in the mood right now." Ryoko answered while not looking away from the television. She still looked rather glum.  
  
______  
  
Tenchi, who was watching the girls, was quite surprised with what he just witnessed. 'Normally Ryoko would have started fighting with Ayeka after she said that to her. Zero's emotions have really done a job on her!' thought Tenchi to himself. He smiled at how different things are beginning to seem in the house as he walked into the kitchen.  
  
"Tenchi!" squealed Ryo-Ohki as Tenchi walked in. His name, not surprisingly, was one of the first words she learned to speak, besides 'carrot'.  
  
"Hi Ryo-Ohki, hey Sasami! How's dinner going along?"  
  
Sasami turned around and smiled, "It's just about done Tenchi! I'd say ten more minutes will do it!"  
  
"Great! I'll go tell the others." And with that, Tenchi walked back into the living room. "Hey guys," he started, "Sasami says that dinner will be ready in about ten minutes."  
  
Mihoshi looked up. "Oh goody, I'm starving!"  
  
Tenchi looked around the room confused. "Hey, where's Washu? Is she in her lab?"  
  
"Um no," answered Mihoshi. "I saw her leave earlier. I think that she was going to talk to your grandfather."  
  
Tenchi frowned lightly. "Oh, I guess we should wait for her to come before we eat."  
  
Ryoko seemed to come out of her daze and stood up. "Don't worry," the ex- pirate began, "I'll go get her."  
  
"No need to Ryoko, I'm already here!" came a cheerful voice by the front door.  
  
Everyone turned around to see Washu standing by the front door with Katsuhito.  
  
"Grandpa!" Tenchi said excitedly, "Are you going to be eating with us?"  
  
Katsuhito looked over to his grandson and smiled. "Yes Tenchi I will be."  
  
"Great! I'll go get an extra plate." Tenchi said as he walked back to the kitchen.  
  
Ayeka got up off the couch and walked to her half-brother. "So brother Yosho, why have you decided to come and eat with us today?"  
  
"I realized that I usually eat all my meals by myself, it can get rather lonely at times. Besides, this gives me a chance to spend more time with my family."  
  
Ayeka smiled warmly. "Yes, that is a good reason. I'm glad that you are eating with us brother Yosho."  
  
Katsuhito returned the smile. "I am glad too Ayeka."  
  
Tenchi walked back into the living room, followed by Sasami and Ryo-Ohki. All three of them were carrying several plates of food.  
  
"Dinner's ready!" exclaimed Sasami cheerfully.  
  
Everyone is now sitting around the table eating dinner. As usual, Ryoko and Ayeka are sitting on each side of Tenchi. Surprisingly, both have kept their voices down during most of the meal. They still had a couple of arguments, but nothing major sprouted from any of them. Washu and Katsuhito sat next to each other and were involved in a small conversation about the earth and its ecosystem. Washu wants to grow some exotic, but deadly plants, that are not natural to the earth, and Katsuhito is trying to advise her not to do so. Mihoshi and Sasami are busy training Ryo-Ohki on how to use chopsticks properly, but she still insists on using her hands to pick up and eat her food.  
  
"Come on Ryo-Ohki!" Sasami pleaded, "It's not that hard to eat with chop sticks!"  
  
"Yeah," chimed in Mihoshi, "If you use your hands all the time when you eat, you'll look like a slob!"  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked angrily at them both and crosses her arms and says, "No!" defiantly.  
  
Sasami picked up her chopsticks and used them to pick up a meatball. "See? It's easy, why don't you try?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked from her chopsticks to her plate a couple of times, then reached down and picked up a meatball from her plate and put it in her mouth. She looked back up at Sasami and chewed happily. While Ryo-Ohki is in her human form, she tends to eat other foods besides carrots, which surprised everyone at first. Of course that made Tenchi happier since he doesn't have to plant only carrots in the fields now.  
  
Sasami threw her hands up in the air. When she talked, everyone could detect a note of anger in her voice. "Oh Ryo-Ohki, you are so stubborn!"  
  
Tenchi spoke up, "Don't get angry now Sasami, these things take time, you just have to be patient."  
  
Sasami looked at Tenchi felling kind of silly about getting a little angry. "I know Tenchi. I'm sorry for getting angry."  
  
Tenchi just waved her apology away. "Ah don't worry about it Sasami, it's nothing!"  
  
"Thanks Tenchi." Sasami smiled awkwardly and looked back to Ryo-Ohki and squealed with delight. Everyone looked over to see what happened, and all of them gasped at what they were seeing. Ryo-Ohki was holding the chopsticks awkwardly in her hands and was trying to pick up some food, with little success. Sasami grabbed Ryo-Ohki's hands and showed her how to properly hold and use them. Within a few minutes, Ryo- Ohki had it down quite well and was happily eating her dinner.  
  
Tenchi chuckled as he watched the little cabbit eat. 'Boy, it seems like everything around here is changing,' Tenchi thought to himself. He was about to pick up a piece of food, but Ryoko grabbed his arm.  
  
She put her lips close to his ear and whispered, "Tenchi, do you think that after we're all done eating you could go out on a walk with me?" She started to blush, but only lightly.  
  
Tenchi looked taken back a bit. "Um, well," he wasn't too sure what to say, her question had really surprised him. He first looked over to Ayeka, but she hadn't noticed anything and was still eating. He then looked back to Ryoko, into those beautiful cat-like amber eyes, and felt his heart warm up. "Uh, sure Ryoko, that sounds nice."  
  
She looked like she was about to jump in the air, but she held herself together. "Really!? Oh thank you Tenchi!"  
  
On the other side of the table, Washu was watching her daughter. She couldn't help but smile as she felt surges of emotions come from Ryoko. 'He must have said yes,' she thought mischievously, 'I've never felt this much happiness come from her.' She looked back down to her plate just in time to see Katsuhito try to steal her last piece of seaweed. "Hey old man!" she screamed so loud that everyone jumped about a foot off of their seats, "What do you think you are doing!?"  
  
"What are you talking about Little Washu?" answered Katsuhito, but his face gave himself away, he was grinning.  
  
"Don't play games with me Yosho, you know what you were trying to do!" Washu was now standing up and pointing her finger threateningly at Katsuhito.  
  
Katsuhito started shaking and in a couple of seconds was laughing. Everybody soon joined.  
  
"Hey Mom," started Ryoko, who was wiping a tear from her eye, "did you just call him Yosho? I thought you only called him Katsuhito."  
  
Washu froze, she didn't even realize that she called him Yosho. She was about to say something, but Katsuhito stood up beside her, interrupting her. "I think that it is time for me to tell, no, show you all something that I've been meaning to for a long time."  
  
Washu looked up to him. 'Does he mean what I think he does?' she thought, feeling her heartbeat start to increase. Katsuhito looked at Washu and smiled. 'Yes!' she thought excitedly, 'He's going to do it!'  
  
"For a long time now, I've hid myself, my true self from everybody, but I think now that the time is right."  
  
With those words, the invisible field around Yosho, which was used for his disguise, dropped. Everyone froze in their place, all too shocked with what they just saw to move.  
  
Tenchi was the first to snap out of his trance. "Grandpa?" was all he could say.  
  
Yosho sighed as he looked around the room to all the shocked faces. "I guess I have some explaining to do."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: Yosho finally reveals his true form to the family, plus he seems to be getting a little cozy with our favorite little genius! Tenchi is going to go out on a walk with Ryoko, but how will Ayeka react? Keep on reading to find out!  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next Episode: Confessions of Romance 


	3. Confessions of Romance

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 3:  
  
Confessions of Romance  
  
"Brother Yosho!" Ayeka screamed as she tackled him down. She held up her hand and touched his face. "Oh you look as handsome as you did the day you left Jurai. But how? Why?"  
  
Just a few moments ago, Katsuhito revealed to everyone that he has actually been wearing a disguise, and he looks exactly the way he did when he left Jurai over 700 years ago. Right now, everybody is acting as he expected them to, shocked and stunned.  
  
"Easy now Ayeka," started Yosho, "Just give me a second and I will explain everything." He pulled Ayeka off of him and got to his feet and dusted himself off. He looked over to everyone and cleared his throat. "After I had managed to defeat Ryoko, I realized that my ship Funaho had taken too much damage and would not be able to go back into space. I was both concerned and gladdened at the same time. Funaho would soon take root in the earth and that meant that my lifespan would shorten considerably."  
  
Mihoshi looked confused and spoke up. "Um, Mr. Katsu...I mean Mr. Yosho, what do you mean by your lifespan would shorten?"  
  
"Well Miss Mihoshi, Jurai trees are blessed with the power of Tsunami. Jurai royal family members are bonded with a Jurai tree, which gives them very long lives. But for the trees to keep their power, they need to stay connected to Jurai, so if a Jurai tree were to take root on a planet other than Jurai, it would lose its power, giving the person bonded with the tree a much shorter live than normal, well, normal for the Jurai royal family. Do you understand now Miss Mihoshi?"  
  
Mihoshi put a finger on her chin. "Oh, um...no."  
  
Everyone face faulted onto the floor.  
  
Yosho stood back up, rubbing his head. "Well anyway, as I told you before Ayeka, being stranded on this desolate and relatively unknown planet was the opportunity I had been waiting for. I no longer wanted to go back to Jurai."  
  
Ayeka quickly interrupted, "I already know this Brother, but I want to know how you managed to stay so young all this time on earth."  
  
"Oh yes. Some time after I stayed on earth and sealed Ryoko away in the cave with my sword, which then contained all three of her gems, I discovered that Ryoko's gems were giving Funaho power which gave me power and gave me an extended life, one I would have had if Funaho were still connected with Jurai."  
  
Ryoko stood up, looking confused, "My gems? How could they give your tree power?"  
  
Yosho looked at Ryoko thoughtfully. "You know Ryoko, I had asked myself that exact question for a long time. My only guess was that your gems somehow possess power that is similar to that of Jurai's. That would explain how you and Ryo-Ohki were able to penetrate Jurai's defenses over 700 years ago. My Mother had the same suspicions."  
  
"Which is why she wanted to ask me if I were planning to ever create anymore Ryo-Ohkis," Washu chimed in.  
  
Tenchi looked over at Washu, a dawning look coming on his face. "So Washu, that's what she wanted to talk to you about when she visited."  
  
Washu looked at Tenchi and winked at him. "Bingo."  
  
Ayeka looked back to her half-brother. "Well that explains your being able to stay young Brother, but I still have another question for you."  
  
"Alright Ayeka, what is it?"  
  
"After we had all found out that you are Yosho, why didn't you then reveal your true form to us?"  
  
Yosho sighed deeply. "I guess was hiding."  
  
"Hiding?" asked Mihoshi, "What were you hiding from?"  
  
"I was hiding from my past. I had told you before how I did not want to be Emperor of Jurai. This disguise was like my way of leaving my past and embracing my future. There is another reason too: I stayed in this form out of respect for my new family. Over time, when I started to have a family of my own, they had believed me to be an earthling, and as such, that I aged as one as well. I had used some of the power from Funaho to create a field around my body to make me look like I was aging like a normal earthling."  
  
"Wow," said Tenchi, "There is a lot more to this than I thought.  
  
"You know, there's more," exclaimed Washu.  
  
"Really?" asked Sasami, "What else is there to tell Yosho?"  
  
Here is the part that Yosho did not want to talk about. He was looking around the room apprehensively. Everyone was looking at him expectantly. 'What should I say to them?' he thought worriedly.  
  
Washu seemed to catch on and helped him along. "He was afraid."  
  
Tenchi looked blankly at his grandfather. "Afraid? What were you afraid of?"  
  
"I...I was afraid of you and the others and what you would think of me if you found out that I have been lying to you all this time about myself."  
  
Tenchi looked completely shocked. Even though his grandfather now looked a lot younger than before, he still thought of him as the same man, strong and proud. With him just saying that he was afraid of how everybody would react to him, well, it was like now he had become a different person as well. "Grandpa, I...well I'm not too sure what to say. I am surprised that you were worried about what we would think of you. I thought that you knew us better than that. We don't care about any of that, right guys?"  
  
"Right!" everybody chimed in.  
  
Yosho rubbed the back of his head with his hand and looked around apologetically. "I should have known better. I have acted rather foolishly and I apologize."  
  
Ayeka hugged her brother tightly. "Oh that is alright Brother, now lets get back to dinner before it gets cold!"  
  
Yosho hugged her back and started to smile again, "You are right Ayeka. Thank you everyone." They all sat back down and started to eat dinner again. Dinner went back to normal, minus some wracked nerves from both Washu and Yosho. They were just about done, when they heard the front door open.  
  
Nobuyuki's voice could be heard, "Hey guys, I'm home! Sorry I'm late, I had to put some last minute details on my project before I turned it in."  
  
"Oh hey Dad!" Tenchi started, "We're all finishing up dinner right now."  
  
"Really?" his Dad sounded slightly sad.  
  
Sasami was quick to cheer him up, "Oh don't worry Mr. Masaki, I'll cook up something for you!"  
  
"Ah, thank you Sasami. Just give me a second to put my stuff away and I'll be right back." They heard him going up the stairs to his room. Sasami, meanwhile, picked up her plate and went in the kitchen to make something for Tenchi's Dad.  
  
Everyone soon finished dinner and were bringing the dishes into the kitchen. Even Ryoko was helping, and Tenchi guessed she was so she could keep an eye on him in case he decided to bail on the walk with her. Luckily for Ryoko, everyone else was too busy thinking about what just transpired with Yosho to take notice.  
  
After they were all done with the dishes, everyone went off to do their own thing. Ryo-Ohki stayed in the kitchen with Sasami to help with Nobuyuki's dinner. Ayeka, Mihoshi and Washu all went into the living room. 'They are probably going to have some 'girl talk' or something,' thought Tenchi, 'well, at least none of them will notice Ryoko and me going out for a walk,' he added with a sly smile.  
  
Yosho watched his grandson with a smile. He had overheard Tenchi and Ryoko's conversation earlier, and he had felt quite proud of him. 'Tenchi's growing up into a fine young man,' thought the ex-prince.  
  
Tenchi was busy cleaning the rest of the table when Ryoko caught his eye. He looked over at her and she nodded. He nodded back and they went out of the house, and started their walk.  
  
Nobuyuki walked downstairs, getting ready for his dinner. When he got downstairs, he took a look around and saw Yosho. Not knowing that he is, was, Katsuhito, he walked up to Yosho with his hand outstretched. "Hello there, I'm Nobuyuki, Tenchi's father. I don't believe that we've met before.  
  
Yosho started to laugh, as well as Mihoshi, Ayeka and Washu who were only a few feet away, having some 'girl talk' as Tenchi put it. Nobuyuki looked very confused as he watched everyone around the room laughing.  
  
______  
  
Ryoko and Tenchi were walking through the woods around the Masaki household. They weren't talking or anything, just walking. Ryoko was holding Tenchi's arm and leaning slightly into him, but he didn't seem to be bothered by it. She was surprised that he was letting her be this close to him, usually he would just tell her to let him go or run away. It felt very nice to her to be this close to him.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, he was feeling the exact same thing. 'Man,' thought Tenchi, 'being close to women like this feels very good. It feels right. I don't know why I avoided this for so long.' Suddenly he began to think of the last woman he was very close to, his mother, and it pained him. He had lost her so early in his life. He still thinks of her often, which is one of the many reasons he didn't want to choose any of the girls. He knew that if he chose the rest of them would eventually leave, and that is something that he couldn't bear to think of. He finally had felt complete with all the girls in the house, like his family was finally whole.  
  
They were both so deep in thought that neither were watching where they were going. Soon they were deep in the forest, deeper than Tenchi had ever ventured. After a while, Tenchi noticed that he didn't know where they were and finally broke the silence that had followed them since they left the house. "Uh Ryoko," he starts, "I don't know where we are, should we turn around and go back?"  
  
Ryoko looked up at Tenchi, he sounded slightly concerned, but his eyes were as warm and welcoming as ever. "I've got a better idea Tenchi. A while back when I was floating around, I found a very nice spot that we can go to."  
  
"Really? Where is it at?"  
  
"Oh it's not too far from here, I think that it is a little further that way," she pointed off slightly to Tenchi's left. "We will probably get there in a few minutes." She looked up and smiled at him.  
  
He smiled back at her. "That sounds nice, let's go there." And with that, the former space pirate and prince headed off deeper into the forest.  
  
______  
  
"What do you mean you don't know where he is!?" shrieked the crown princess at her sister, "He was just helping you with the dishes wasn't he!?"  
  
Sasami backed away from her sister's rage. "Well he was helping clean the table," she replied weakly, "and it looks clean to me. He probably went off to train with grandpa, I mean Yosho."  
  
It seemed that that was going to calm her until Mihoshi chimed in, "Tenchi? I thought he was with Ryoko. I saw the two of them leave together shortly after dinner."  
  
This was not the answer that Ayeka had hoped for. "HER!?" she bellowed, "What is Lord Tenchi doing with her!?"  
  
"Um maybe they are out on a date?" answered the bubblehead.  
  
Ayeka snarled and picked up Mihoshi. She looked like she was about to hit her when suddenly something hits her on the back of the head, knocking her out. Sasami looks over to see Washu holding a giant hammer with the words "Anger Management" written on it.  
  
"I swear that girl is going to have an ulcer before she reaches thirty," Washu proclaims, "She is becoming seriously unbalanced."  
  
Sasami looked to the little genius, "It's not that Washu, she's just had a lot to go through today, she just needs a little rest and relaxation."  
  
Washu stood up suddenly and looked at Ayeka thoughtfully. 'A little R N R huh? I might have just the thing.' She started the traditional Washu smile.  
  
______  
  
"Wow Ryoko you were right, this place is amazing!"  
  
Ryoko couldn't help but smile at the look on Tenchi's face. They had just walked into a beautiful clearing. It was all set on top of a small hill. The trees made a "U" shape pattern around it, opening where they entered. A small stream flowed around the entrance. There were beautiful flowers all over, except for a small opening in the center.  
  
"So you like this place?"  
  
"Yeah, it's beautiful," he stammered.  
  
Unbeknownst to Tenchi, Ryoko had this planned the entire time. She had created this place, with a little help from Washu. They wanted to make a place both beautiful and secluded, so she could be with Tenchi alone with no one interrupting.  
  
Tenchi walked a little further up the clearing to get a better look around. He then looked over to Ryoko, who seemed to be hesitating for something. The sun was starting to set behind her, making it look like she was glowing. He decided to take a chance and get closer to the pirate. He reached out and took her hand in his. The prince led her into the small opening of grass and beckoned her to sit down with him. She did and they sat next to each other staring deep into each other's eyes amidst the trickling water and setting sun.  
  
______  
  
Ayeka opened her eyes groggily. Her head was throbbing slightly. She moaned slightly and rubbed the back of her head where a huge bump was. She suddenly noticed that someone was over her, watching her. It took her a few moments for eyes to refocus. The first thing she saw was dark hair and a pair of friendly welcoming brown eyes. "Tenchi?" she said lightly.  
  
"Yes Ayeka?" answered the prince.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't know, I walked into the living room and you had just passed out. Washu said that you were under a lot of stress and your body couldn't handle it," Tenchi answered warmly.  
  
It was just now that Ayeka realized that Tenchi was holding her hand in a very gentle, caring manner. Another thought dawned to her.  
  
"Where's Ryoko?" Her eyes finally regained total focus and she could see around her. She was back in her room, lying on her bed with Tenchi close to her. His face bore an expression of sorrow at the moment.  
  
"Ryoko left with Ryo-Ohki a little bit ago, I'm not too sure if she will come back."  
  
"What!?" she nearly screamed as she started to get up. Tenchi gently placed his hands on her shoulders and laid her back onto her bed.  
  
"Ryoko took me on a little walk and told me that she loved me."  
  
Ayeka looked frightened. "And what did you tell her?"  
  
Tenchi sighed deeply. "I told her that I loved her too but." he stopped for a moment as Ayeka started to cry. He gently wiped away her tears, "I told her that I could only love her as a friend, nothing more. She asked me why and I then told her that my heart already belongs to another."  
  
Ayeka held her breath. " Who does your heart belong to?"  
  
Tenchi smiled at her again. He took a deep breath and answered, "My heart belongs to you. I love you Ayeka."  
  
Ayeka's lips trembled as tears began to run down her face again. "I...I love you too Tenchi."  
  
He then lowered himself towards her and they began to kiss.  
  
______  
  
"Man, maybe I made this a little too good, Ayeka's not gonna want to wake up!" exclaimed the eccentric scientist.  
  
Sasami was watching her sister as she lay in Washu's lab inside a stasis tube. There was a green fluid inside that was surrounding Ayeka as she slept. There were several probes on Ayeka's body that monitored her. Washu was typing away merrily again.  
  
"Washu, what is all of this?"  
  
"It's a device that will help your sister to feel better. Right now she is in a comatose state that is allowing her body to recover. I inputted a dream to occur into her brain that will help her to relax, which makes the process go faster. Don't worry, your sister will wake up tomorrow morning feeling like a million bucks!"  
  
Sasami smiled weakly. "Okay, as long as she will be better soon." She then left Washu's lab.  
  
______  
  
Tenchi was sitting next to Ryoko, not entirely sure what to do. They had just watched the sun set a few minutes ago, and now they sat in total silence. Up to this moment, Tenchi let his better judgment guide him, but now it was silent and Tenchi was feeling his old nerves start to take over.  
  
Ryoko was starting to feel nervous as well, Tenchi had not spoken to her in a while and she could feel him getting nervous. She finally decided to break the ice. "I had a great time Tenchi, thanks for going on this walk with me."  
  
"Oh no problem Ryoko, I had fun. Maybe we could do it again sometime."  
  
"Yeah, that would be nice," she responded. Ryoko could feel her insides begin to flutter. 'All right Ryoko, it's now or never,' she told herself mentally.'  
  
She then leaned in and began to hug him. He was surprised, but his better judgment suddenly kicked in and it told him to hug her back, so he did. They held each other for what seemed like hours.  
  
'Now what?' he thought to himself. A small voice in the back of his head held the answer. 'You know what to do. You want it and she definitely wants it, so succumb to your feelings.' Tenchi smiled as the thoughts came to him. He knew what he had to do, what he wanted to do. Slowly he lifted his head up until it was level with hers. He started to move in closer.  
  
Ryoko's eyes widened as she realized that all her and Washu's planning was finally paying off. She started to lean in too. Their lips were getting closer and closer until.  
  
______  
  
Back up at the shrine, Yosho suddenly stopped his readings and looked up, a large smile appearing on his face. "Well done Tenchi," he muttered out loud, "Well done."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: I really like the ending of this one. I smile at it each time I read it. Things are starting to fall into place for Tenchi, or are they? Find out soon!  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next Episode: Whips and Dreams and Recordings oh my! 


	4. Whips, Dreams and Recordings oh my!

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Note 1: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note 2: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 4:  
  
Whips, Dreams and Recordings oh my!  
  
Early the next morning. Washu is busy in her lab checking on the status of Ayeka. "Oh my!" exclaimed Washu as she watches the monitor that is showing Ayeka's dream, "she is really getting into this!" She puts her hand on her face and starts to blush. "She is a lot more physical than I thought! And where did she get that whip?"  
  
Suddenly there is a knock at her door and it opens and in walks Sasami. Washu quickly covers the monitor up and hides it away from Sasami. "Hi Sasami, what are you here for? It's pretty early."  
  
"Oh I was just checking in on Ayeka to see how she is doing. I couldn't sleep too well last night, I was so worried about her."  
  
Washu smiles as she says, "You are such a loving and caring sister Sasami. Any way, she is recovering nicely and I think she will be out within the next hour or so."  
  
"Great!" shouted Sasami, "I'll start making her something right now, I bet she will be hungry when she wakes up!" And with that, she ran out of Washu's lab and into the kitchen.  
  
The genius chuckled as she watched Sasami leave. "She really tries so hard to make everyone around here happy."  
  
She is about to go into the kitchen when she hears a snap and someone yelping coming from her monitor of Ayeka's dream. Quickly she pulls out the monitor and gets wide eyed at what she sees. "Goodness!" she practically screams. She then begins to giggle mischievously, "I am so glad that I am recording this, I am going to have Ayeka wrapped around my finger!" She then begins to do her classic Washu laugh when suddenly a voice comes from behind her. "Hey Washu, what's so funny?"  
  
Washu stops laughing, but doesn't need to turn around to see who it is. "Hello Mihoshi," she starts. Washu has become so accustomed to Mihoshi somehow getting into her lab without her letting her that she doesn't even mind anymore.  
  
"Hey Washu, what are you watching?"  
  
Washu smiles evilly at the blonde. "Do you really want to see what I'm watching?"  
  
Mihoshi starts to look excited. "Yeah, I do, please show me!"  
  
"Alright!" She then moves to the side so the GP officer can see what's on the monitor. Her eyes instantly go wide with shock. "W...Washu, what is this?"  
  
The eccentric scientist giggles lightly. "Well, you see that Ayeka is over in that stasis tube sleeping right?"  
  
"Um yeah."  
  
"Well right now what we're watching is Ayeka's dream, and as you can see." She trails off as her eyes fall on the monitor. Mihoshi and Washu both turn their heads to the side, trying to get a better view of what is going on in Ayeka's dream.  
  
"Oh wow, how is she doing that? It looks like it hurts!" said Mihoshi, whose head was turned so much that she was nearly falling over.  
  
Washu just shook her head. "I don't know Mihoshi, but it is her dream, so I guess several things that are impossible are possible." 'Just like her ever being with Tenchi when he now belongs to my little Ryoko,' she thought with a grin.  
  
______  
  
Tenchi opened his eyes lightly. He could hear the sound of water trickling nearby. Now he felt the urge to use the washroom. He is about to get up when he realizes that someone has their arms wrapped around him, and he could feel someone breathing lightly on his neck. It took him a few moments to remember what happened last night.  
  
He smiled lightly as he remembered how romantic it had been last night with Ryoko. He remembered that they kissed for a while, and then they both decided to lay down in each other's arms and sleep.  
  
Suddenly, the urge to use the bathroom became too overpowering so he carefully removed Ryoko's arms from him and said, "Don't worry, I'll be right back," to her before turning around and running into the forest.  
  
______  
  
Yosho is busy walking down the steps from the shrine to the Masaki household. He smiled to himself. 'I wonder what all happened with Tenchi and Ryoko last night. I know that Tenchi would be kind and gentle, but Ryoko...' he began chuckling out loud. 'I just hope that Tenchi wasn't hurt last night.'  
  
______  
  
Sasami is in the kitchen busily making breakfast. Ryo-Ohki is assisting her as usual. Shortly after she came in to make something for Ayeka, she realized that everyone else would be coming down soon so she started to make breakfast with Ryo-Ohki.  
  
Nobuyuki walked in the kitchen, drawn by the delicious smells of Sasami's cooking. "Ah good morning Sasami."  
  
"Good morning Mr. Masaki!"  
  
"Mornin!" piped in Ryo-Ohki.  
  
Nobuyuki looked over to Ryo-Ohki and smiled. "Well Ryo-Ohki, I see you've learned another new word, good for you!"  
  
Ryo-Ohki smiled brightly at him. Sasami giggled. "Yeah, I just got her to say it right earlier. I'm going to teach her to say goodnight after breakfast."  
  
"That's great," he started. He looked back to the former pirate. "Soon you'll be able to talk just like all of us!"  
  
Ryo-Ohki giggled and then purred slightly as Nobuyuki patted her on her head.  
  
______  
  
Ayeka opened her eyes groggily. Though she was still a little tired, she felt great. The princess yawned and stretched as she stood up. She then opened her eyes and realized that she wasn't in her bed with Tenchi like she was just a little bit ago: she is in Washu's lab. 'That's strange,' she thought, 'what am I doing here?'  
  
She suddenly heard something behind her and turned around to see what it is. Washu was walking towards her with a very smug look on her face.  
  
"Little Washu, what happened? Why am I here?"  
  
"Well Ayeka, after you snapped last night and attacked Mihoshi, I knocked you out."  
  
"What!?" the crown princess screamed, "You were the one who did that?"  
  
Washu backed up a few paces, but the smug look still remained on her face. "I had to, you were really losing it. Your body had gone through a lot of stress so I took you out and put you in an enhanced comatose state and put you in a stasis tube."  
  
A thought suddenly dawned on Ayeka. "But I woke up and Tenchi was there and..."  
  
Washu put up a hand to interrupt her. "That was an enhanced dream that I inputted in you to help you relax, which was critical for the healing process to work properly."  
  
Ayeka just looked at the genius utterly perplexed. "B...but it felt so real."  
  
"That was what the enhanced dream was meant to do, and you were quite a busy little bee in that dream weren't you?"  
  
Ayeka felt her entire body go numb. She couldn't move if she wanted to. Washu, on the other hand, began to laugh. "Oh yes, I monitored your dream to see if it was working properly. I was quite surprised in what I witnessed. Tell me Ayeka, are you really a Dominatrix or do you just dream of being one?"  
  
Ayeka couldn't take it anymore and passed out!  
  
______  
  
Tenchi just finished going to the bathroom and was walking back to Ryoko, who had just waken up and was stretching. She looked over at him and smiled, which he gladly returned.  
  
"Morning Tenchi"  
  
"Good morning Ryoko"  
  
Ryoko stood up and stretched again. While she was stretching, Tenchi walked up to her and wrapped her in a big hug. She was shocked at first, but gladly returned the hug.  
  
"Thanks for the walk Ryoko, that was just what I needed to relax."  
  
She pulled out of the hug and looked into his eyes. "Actually I should be the one thanking you for coming out here with me. I really like this place, we should come up here again sometime soon."  
  
"Yeah," Tenchi said brightly, "I'd like that."  
  
Ryoko is about to say something to Tenchi when she stops for a moment, her eyes widening. "Ooh I forgot! Um Tenchi, I have something that I need to do, see you back at home!" And with that, she teleports away, leaving Tenchi very confused.  
  
"What was that about?" he says out loud while scratching the back of his head.  
  
______  
  
Washu is leaning over Ayeka, waving a smell salt in front of her nose. She woke up with a start. "Ah good, it worked," exclaimed Washu as she was walking back to her computer.  
  
"Little Washu?" Ayeka started.  
  
"Yes?" she answered.  
  
"Did...did you record any part of my dream?"  
  
She looked over at the princess and felt pity. Ayeka wasn't looking like she usually does, regal and proud; more like afraid and weak. She couldn't bear to do anything bad to her now.  
  
"Ayeka," she started, "I did make a recording of the entire dream, but I have only one copy. I'll keep it hidden and we'll just call it our little secret, okay?"  
  
Ayeka felt a tremendous burst of joy and anger. 'Great, she recorded it!' she thought, 'I guess I'll have to search around here and find it so I can destroy it!'  
  
She looked up at Washu and smiled lightly, trying to act normally. "Oh thank you Little Washu, but frankly I'd feel much better if you got rid of that tape, I acted so unlady-like." She now smiled mischievously at Washu, who smiled back.  
  
"I think I'll keep just one copy, for research," Washu started, now giggling, "you looked quite skilled with that whip, care to teach me a few pointers?"  
  
They both burst out laughing.  
  
______  
  
"Sa...Sasa..."  
  
"Come one Ryo-Ohki, you can say it: Sa...sa...mi!"  
  
Ryo-Ohki took a deep breath and tried again, "Sa...Sa...Sasa...Sami!"  
  
The young princess giggled lightly. "That's pretty good, now try: Ayeka!"  
  
______  
  
The woman, whose name Ryo-Ohki was currently trying to pronounce, just left Washu's lab, only to have her rival for Tenchi's love burst in only seconds later.  
  
"Ryoko!" Washu shouted excitedly, "How did everything go?"  
  
Ryoko then told her mother everything about what happened with her and Tenchi last night. When she reached the part when the two of them kissing, both women were rather giggly.  
  
"So," Washu started, with tears starting to form in her eyes, "He finally told you that he loves you. I'm so happy for you Ryoko!"  
  
The grin was instantly wiped off of Ryoko's face. "Uh, now that I'm thinking about it, he never told me that he loves me."  
  
"What!?" Washu screamed.  
  
Ryoko looked up at her mother, a look of shock and sadness appearing on her face. "I...I remember kissing him, and then we laid down and fell asleep in each other's arms, but he never told me that." Ryoko started to cry lightly. "What does this mean? Why didn't he tell me that he loves me? Doesn't he?"  
  
Washu just frowned. "I don't know Ryoko, I think that we need to give him a little more time. You know how dense he can be."  
  
Ryoko stopped crying and wiped the tears from her face. "Yeah, you're right."  
  
Washu walked up to her daughter and hugged her. "Just give him a little more time."  
  
______  
  
Half an hour later breakfast was ready and everybody was busy eating. Tenchi had just walked in moments before they started to eat and took his normal place between Ayeka and Ryoko. Neither of the girls talked to him, which took him by surprise. He wanted to say something to Ryoko, but he couldn't think of what to say, he is still shocked at how she had suddenly left him all alone up at the clearing.  
  
Ryoko was deep in thought about her mother's words. 'Maybe that's it,' she thought to herself while enjoying Sasami's cooking, 'I just need to give him a little time to get his thoughts together.'  
  
Ayeka stayed very diminished, occasionally casting glances to Tenchi and to Washu. Her thoughts lingered on Tenchi, but also Washu. 'If Tenchi ever finds that video, I'll do everything in my power to kill that little twerp! Oh, but what would he think of me if he saw what I did to him in that dream? Damn that Washu!'  
  
So they all enjoyed an unusually quiet meal, which quickly ended. Ayeka suddenly complained of a headache and ran up to her room. Tenchi, worried about Ayeka, ran up to see how she was feeling. No one stopped him as he ran up the stairs as they were all busy cleaning up after themselves.  
  
______  
  
Ayeka ran into her room and sat down on her bed. 'Oh why am I feeling so nervous around him?' Ayeka thought to herself while covering her face with her hands. 'I know that it was only a dream, but it felt so real and I acted so strangely. Is that how I can really be?' Her thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking lightly on her door.  
  
"Yes?" she called out, "Who is it?"  
  
"It's me Ayeka," answered Tenchi, "may I come in?"  
  
"Um yes of course Lord Tenchi, please enter." She felt herself tense up as he entered. He looked at her with those warm welcoming eyes, which were now full of concern.  
  
"Ayeka, are you all right?"  
  
"Oh yes, I just felt a little dizzy, that's all." She tried to act normal, but she was barely moving when she spoke to him and she wouldn't look up at him.  
  
Though Tenchi had very little experience with women, he had a feeling that he knew what was going on. "Ayeka, you don't have to lie to me," he said gently.  
  
"Lying? Whatever do you..." Her words were cut short when he reached out and grabbed her hands and held them close to him.  
  
"I know that you were worried about me yesterday when I went off with Ryoko," Just the mention of her name made Ayeka involuntarily shudder, "and I won't lie to you, I had a great time with her. We had a very nice walk, and we found a beautiful spot to watch the sun set." He hesitated for a moment. "And we kissed."  
  
Ayeka's head shot up to look at Tenchi, tears forming in her eyes. "So that means...I mean you and Ryoko..." Tenchi once again stopped her, but this time by putting his hand under her chin and lifting her head slowly until it was level with his.  
  
"What happened," he started, "was we were caught up in a very romantic and emotional situation, and we succumbed to our emotions. But we only kissed, nothing more."  
  
Ayeka stammered while Tenchi smiled at her. "But...but what does..." she never got to finish those words as he leaned into her and they kissed while tears of joy streamed down her face.  
  
______  
  
Yosho had just got back into his shrine office and was about to look over some of his papers when his head shoots up suddenly. "Ah Tenchi," he says out loud, "now the plot thickens." Just as he finished talking, the door to his office opens and Washu walks in, now in her adult form. Yosho notices that she is holding something in her left hand, but she is hiding it behind her.  
  
"Hello Lady Washu, what brings you up here?"  
  
Washu smiles mischievously and Yosho begins to feel nervous. "First off, don't call me 'Lady' Washu, just Washu or Miss Washu when I'm in this form. Second, I plan to do something I've been thinking about for a while know."  
  
"Oh really Miss Washu? And what is." His words are cut short when Washu walks up to him and begins to kiss him vigorously. He gladly returns the kiss and looks at her left hand, now seeing what she was hiding behind her back. He backs off for a second, giving her a quizzical look. "Miss Washu, is that a whip?"  
  
Her smile widens as she leans in and starts to kiss him again.  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: Ah, just as Yosho said, "Now the plot thickens." Tenchi becomes more expressive towards the girls. See if he is going to decide who he cares about more soon.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Meditations and Baths 


	5. Meditations and Baths

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 5:  
  
Meditations and Baths  
  
Nearly one week later, Tenchi is sitting in the middle of his room meditating. His actions over the last week with Ryoko and Ayeka weigh heavily on his mind. He is glad that his grandfather taught him how to meditate, as it is helping him to focus and think.  
  
The only light in his room is the soft glow of a candle. A sweet smelling cinnamon incense was lit earlier and its scent is traveling around the room, helping Tenchi to focus even deeper.  
  
Earlier that day he told everyone that he was going to be in his room meditating and that he did not want anyone to disturb him. 'Thankfully they all listened to me for once,' he thought to himself.  
  
______  
  
"I hope that Tenchi is okay," Sasami said to Ryo-Ohki, "He's been acting a little differently lately."  
  
"Is Tenchi hurt?" asked Ryo-Ohki.  
  
Over the last week, Ryo-Ohki's vocabulary increased dramatically, as was her balance. So lately Ryo-Ohki has been using her teenager form, much to Nobuyuki's happiness.  
  
"I don't know," replied the little princess.  
  
"Of course Tenchi isn't hurt," came a voice behind them that made the two of them jump. They both turned around to see Yosho walking in. He is in his young form. Since he revealed himself to everybody, Yosho has been comfortable with going around without his disguise on. He only puts it back on when company comes over or when he has to go out.  
  
"Hello Yosho,"  
  
"Hi Yosho! How are you?" piped in Ryo-Ohki.  
  
He smiled at them. "And hello two both of you too!" He then looks to the human/cabbit. "And I am fine thank you! I see that you getting better and better with your vocabulary!"  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked down to the floor with her hands behind her back. She replies with a quiet, "Thanks."  
  
"Brother Yosho, what is going on with Tenchi?" asked Sasami.  
  
Yosho looked at her thoughtfully. "Tenchi is going through some changes right now. Not physically, but emotionally. He has had a lot of pent up emotions for some time now, and just recently he has begun to explore them. Needless to say, it is a whole new experience for him. Right now he is meditating to...get himself straightened out. To help him try to focus on what he is going to do."  
  
Sasami sat down, thinking hard. "Oh wow."  
  
"Yes," commented Yosho, "it is a lot to think about, that is why Tenchi is doing what he is right now."  
  
______  
  
Tenchi's mind wanders as he is in a state of sub-consciousness. His thoughts linger on the conversation he had had with his Father about a week ago. Usually his Dad just gave him useless advice on how to get with the girls or new ways to peep on them. This time though, his Dad had given him some actual Fatherly advice, and it was some very good advice. So good in fact, that it was that that encouraged him to express his feeling for Ryoko and Ayeka more. It started like any other day:  
  
Tenchi was getting ready to go out to the vegetable fields when his Father caught his attention. "Tenchi," he started looking very seriously, "Please come with me, there is something that I need to tell you."  
  
Tenchi had rarely seen his Father look or act so serious before, so he was compelled to follow him. His Father led him into Tenchi's room.  
  
"Please sit down Tenchi."  
  
Tenchi did as he was told.  
  
"Tenchi, I realize that I haven't been the best Father to you."  
  
"What?" Tenchi said as he interrupted his father, "No, you've been a great dad!"  
  
Nobuyuki chuckled lightly. "No Tenchi, I haven't. I've constantly tried to force you to do things that you'd never do, like peep on the girls, or get with one of them and give me a grandchild." He stopped for a moment to shake his head in shame. "I have acted very foolishly, but ever since your Mother passed, I guess I did what I did as a shield to keep women away. I bought all those comics and magazines to try to hide from the pain. I never wanted to fall in love with another woman only to loose her again like your Mother. I barely kept it together after she left us forever, and I couldn't bear to have a chance of that happening again."  
  
He stopped to wipe his eyes, Tenchi had to also.  
  
"But you, you have a chance to have what your Mother and I once had: love, pure unconditional love. There are several women in this household who care deeply for you, two above the others, who truly love you and would do anything to please you and be with you. I can't idly sit by any longer and watch those two women pour their hearts out to you for you to just push them aside or run away from them. I watch them when you do and I can see the pain in their eyes. They try so hard and you do nothing to acknowledge their efforts." He pauses again to take a deep breath. "Tenchi, I'm not asking you to just go and choose one of the girls, I'm asking you to listen to your heart and follow it. I want to see my son, my only child, to grow up and be happy and have a family to watch over and love. Please, do this for me, I want you to live."  
  
Tenchi was speechless; he had never heard his Father talk to him like this. His Dad finally seemed to be acting...well like a Dad.  
  
Inwardly, Tenchi was smiling. Since he is supposed to be deep in meditation, he is not supposed to move. He just breathed in deeply, taking in the sweet cinnamon scent of the incense. After that conversation, he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of him. He suddenly felt comfortable around the girls. He didn't want to run in fear when they flirted with him or tried to be with him.  
  
He nearly laughed out loud when he thought about Ryoko. A couple of days ago in the middle of the night, he was trying to go to sleep when he heard the usual sounds of Ryoko teleporting in his room to watch him as he slept. 'What a shock she got,' thought Tenchi, 'when I reached out and grabbed her and pulled her down onto my bed! I then told her that if she wanted to be with me at night, all she had to do ask instead of come in while I'm sleeping!' He began to smile inwardly again. 'Her hair very soft and it smelled great, like that cherry blossom tree she likes to nap in so much. She felt so warm and comfortable as she slept lying on me. Her I hadn't slept that well in a long time.'  
  
He lost it slightly and shook a couple of times as he thought about Ayeka. A day after the incident with Ryoko, Tenchi was sitting on the couch watching television. Ayeka was walking downstairs when she tripped on Ryo- Ohki, who was napping on one of the steps in her cabbit form, and fell down the stairs. He was quick to get to her side and help her up. She was sobbing lightly, a small bump was visibly forming on her forehead. He thought he'd be kind and gentle to her and kissed her on her forehead and held her in his arms tightly, all the while saying, "I'm so glad that you are all right. I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt or I lost you." The look on her face was, needless to say, priceless.  
  
But he didn't do all of that to shock or embarrass them, he was just acting on pent up emotions that he has held in for so long, like his Father said. The girls just weren't used to him acting so open and were mainly shocked, though overall pleased, with his new actions.  
  
Now he is trying to focus on the reason he decided to meditate in the first place, to find out which girl he cared about and loved more. He does love all the girls, but as a family.  
  
It all comes down to Ryoko and Ayeka. His Dad was right, those two seemed to love him more than anything, and he is just realizing that he feels the same for them.  
  
Ryoko is powerful, proud and strikingly gorgeous. She is exciting, fun loving and adventurous. But she also has a softer, gentler side that she rarely shows. He noticed it a couple of times when she was alone with Sasami. 'Sasami seems to always bring out the best in everyone,' Tenchi thought with an inward smile.  
  
Ayeka, on the other hand, is strong, confident and very beautiful. She is regal, proper and kind hearted. After Washu had a small talk with Tenchi, he found out that Ayeka has a darker more adventurous side that she stubbornly keeps hidden.  
  
Each girl had something that made her special to him but he couldn't pick one over the other. His old fears of losing them were coming back into place. There was no way he could just pick one and watch the other become heartbroken and possibly leave. There was just no way, but he had to choose one, or he could risk losing them both forever.  
  
Tenchi opened his eyes and stood up. The meditation helped him sort through his thoughts, but he was getting nowhere fast concerning the decision. Meditation is a concentration and relaxation of the mind and body, but not the heart. What he needed was to listen to his heart to help guide him towards his decision.  
  
______  
  
"So Ayeka, do you think that Tenchi is done yet?"  
  
"Truthfully Ryoko, I have no idea. I was surprised that he decided to meditate. His actions have been so un-Tenchi lately that I barely know what he is going to do or say anymore."  
  
"Yeah, but you got to admit, it has been more fun around here with him acting like this."  
  
"Oh yes, you and I barely even fight anymore."  
  
Ryoko and Ayeka were enjoying a mid-afternoon soak in the floating onsen while drinking some Sake. Their thoughts, as usual, were on Tenchi. Though his actions as of late have become unexpected, they have enjoyed them all the same. They were getting tired of him just running away or trying to push them away. Indeed, now he seems to be pulling them in!  
  
Both Ryoko and Ayeka were soaking nude. Ryoko finally persuaded Ayeka to take her towel off; she promised her she wouldn't say anything mean to her.  
  
'I must admit,' Ayeka thought to herself, 'this is quite invigorating! Now I see why she likes to do this all the time.'  
  
Ryoko stretched her arms out, and looked over to her new best friend. "Well, do you have any idea what Tenchi could be thinking about in his room?"  
  
Ayeka took a very large drink and looked back to her former rival, now good drinking buddy. "To that, I can only guess, but I suspect that the only thing that could be occupying his mind so much is us."  
  
Ryoko snapped her head up. "Do you think he is coming to a decision about us?"  
  
The princess took another long drink. "I think he might be. Truthfully, with the way he is now, I would rather he not make a decision."  
  
The pirate looked like she was about to ask her a question, but stopped and commented, "Yeah, for once, both of us are happy with the way things are, and so is Tenchi."  
  
Ayeks giggled lightly. "And it seems that we are quickly becoming friends instead of fighting over who he loves or pays more attention to."  
  
Ryoko sighed, "Yeah, we are sort of sharing him, and it doesn't bother me at all."  
  
"Nor does it for I. Now I see what Mother meant when she told me about sharing Father with Funaho."  
  
Ryoko looked up to Ayeka thoughtfully. "Yeah, how did those two agree to share your Father without tearing each other apart?"  
  
Ayeka giggled again. "At first they did. But they soon realized that they both loved my Father very much and reached a compromise that they were comfortable with. They could share him and not feel superior to or jealous of each other."  
  
Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "Sort of like we are now with Tenchi."  
  
Ayeka looked up, the same thought dawning on her. "Yes, indeed we are."  
  
They both sported identical evil grins.  
  
______  
  
Mihoshi just woke up from her eighth nap that day on the living room couch. The ditz sat up and stretched lazily. Suddenly her Galaxy Police bracelet started to beep. She looks at it and jumps up. "Oh my! I need to send in my weekly report!"  
  
And with that, she jumped out of the couch and made her way to Washu's lab. She reached out to grab the door handle, when the door burst open, tossing the GP officer back several feet.  
  
Standing at the entrance to the lab was none other than the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe, Washu. She got straight to the point, "You want Yukinojo right? Follow me." She turned around began to walk back into her lab.  
  
Mihoshi sat up, rubbing her head. "Were you expecting me Little Washu?"  
  
Washu stopped walking and turned around, smiling. "No, but I've got all my computers on 'Mihoshi Monitor,' that all go off whenever you get too near to the entrance to my lab."  
  
"Oh wow, that sounds like fun!"  
  
Washu slapped her forehead. "Mihoshi, just...just follow me."  
  
The two of them walked around the lab, small explosions following in Mihoshi's wake, until they entered what appeared to be a large hanger for aircraft. Towering in the middle of it was..."Yukinojo!" screamed Mihoshi.  
  
"I've decided to keep your ship in this hangar when you're not using it. I've also installed a homing beacon on Yukinojo to always come to these coordinates."  
  
Mihoshi looked at Washu confused. "Um, what does that mean?"  
  
Washu was about to hit Mihoshi over the head, but controlled herself. "What it means Mihoshi is that every time you come back here from patrol or turning in reports, Yukinojo will come right here and be teleported into this hangar, which means that you won't crash into the lake or house every time you come back. Do you understand?"  
  
Mihoshi put her index finger on her chin and thought really hard. "Um...no."  
  
Washu fell onto the floor with a loud thud. She gets back up, rubbing her head thoroughly. "Just get into Yukinojo and leave."  
  
"Okay!" said Mihoshi cheerily.  
  
______  
  
Sasami and Nobuyuki were in the living room having a nice little chat when they felt the house shake slightly and the usual sounds of an engine blasting off.  
  
"Looks like Miss Mihoshi is going out again," started Nobuyuki.  
  
"Yeah, I hope that she'll come home soon," finished Sasami.  
  
Ryo-Ohki walked in from the kitchen and looked at the two of them and cleared her throat, "What's going on?"  
  
Sasami looked up. "Oh nothing Ryo-Ohki, Mihoshi just left."  
  
Ryo-Ohki frowned, "Oh, where's Ryoko and Ayeka?"  
  
This time Nobuyuki spoke up, "They are in the onsen taking a mid-afternoon dip."  
  
"Oh, okay." She walked to the stairs and started to go up when Tenchi came bolting down.  
  
"Tenchi!" squealed Ryo-Ohki and Sasami.  
  
Nobuyuki smiled at his son. "Ah Tenchi, how's the meditation going?"  
  
"Great," Tenchi said distractedly, "Where are Ryoko and Ayeka."  
  
"The onsen," Ryo-Ohki answered cheerily.  
  
"Thanks," Tenchi yelled as he ran to the front door. His hand had just touched the door handle when a sharp voice caused him to jump back. "Tenchi, wait!"  
  
Tenchi turned around to see his grandfather walking towards him from the kitchen. He was holding a small cup in his hand.  
  
"Grandpa," Tenchi started impatiently, "I have to go and do something. I'll be right back."  
  
Tenchi turned back towards the door, when his grandfather put his free hand on Tenchi's shoulder, stopping him. "Tenchi, I have allowed you to fall back on your shrine duties and training, but now you need to catch up. Come with me to the shrine."  
  
"But grandpa!"  
  
"No buts Tenchi! You are slacking off and becom..." His voice trails off as the door to Washu's lab opens. They can hear Washu as she starts to come out, "I'll just take a quick break to get a snack."  
  
Yosho suddenly grabbed Tenchi by the collar of his shirt and started to pull him out of the house. "Hurry Tenchi, let's go!" And with that, Yosho bolted out the door with Tenchi being dragged behind.  
  
The front door slammed shut just as Washu came out of her lab in her child form. She looked over at the front door and said, "Who just left?"  
  
"Tenchi and Yosho!" piped in Ryo-Ohki.  
  
Washu looked at the door thoughtfully as everyone else in the room exchanged confused looks.  
  
"Little Washu," started Nobuyuki, "I've noticed that Father has been avoiding you lately. Why is that?" The other two girls in the room looked over at Washu, waiting for an answer.  
  
The little genius looked back to the expectant faces and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Yosho always has been a mysterious one, even to his own family."  
  
"Yeah you're right, he can be unpredictable at times," replied Nobuyuki. He, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki sat back down on the couch. Nobuyuki turned on the television and they all watched a program while Washu walked into the kitchen. When she entered, she frowned slightly.  
  
'He has been avoiding me a lot lately. I guess that I sort of embarrassed him the last time we were together,' she thought with a sly grin. 'I think that I should have a little chat with him.'  
  
______  
  
"So, should we tell him when we get out?" Ryoko started.  
  
"Yes, well, if he is done meditating," finished Ayeka.  
  
Ryoko yawned very loudly. "Well princess, I think that we've been in here for a while now. Do you think we should get out now?"  
  
Ayeka sighed deeply. "Just a few more minutes, I feel so comfortable and relaxed."  
  
Ryoko looked over at Ayeka and giggled lightly. "So, you are really enjoying your first skinny dip, aren't you Ayeka?"  
  
The princess blushed lightly at the space pirate's comment. "Well, um.you see." She was interrupted by Ryoko, who was now laughing. "Ah you don't need to explain," she started, "you should try it more often.  
  
Ayeka gave her a sly smile. "I think I will."  
  
The two burst out laughing.  
  
To be continued...  
Author's notes: You were thinking that he was going to go and tell them his decision, weren't you? Shame on you, we are still fairly early into the series! Find out why Yosho suddenly wants to train Tenchi soon.  
  
Questions or Comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Partners of Mystery 


	6. Partners of Mystery

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 6:  
  
Partners of Mystery  
  
"Tenchi, today I want to train you to use your Jurai powers."  
  
Tenchi took a step back, completely shocked. He and his grandfather just made it to the top of the steps to the Masaki shrine. Tenchi a few minutes earlier was about to go to the onsen to confront Ryoko and Ayeka to tell them his true feelings for them when his grandfather stopped him and told him that he had to train. They were both very quiet the entire trip up the steps, but now Tenchi is just standing in front of his grandfather with a confused look on his face.  
  
"Grandpa, why?"  
  
"Why?" the Jurai warrior looked at his grandson frowning. "Tell me Tenchi, have you ever been able to successfully activate your Lighthawk Wings manually since you discovered them?"  
  
Tenchi bowed his head slightly. "No I haven't. I've tried plenty of times, but the only times that I activated them when I was in mortal danger."  
  
"Then that is why we are training Tenchi." The Shinto priest held out his hand towards his grandson. "Tenchi, give me the Master Key."  
  
Tenchi looked at his grandfather perplexed. "Grandpa, I don't have it on me."  
  
Yosho frowned again. "Then call it to you."  
  
"Huh? Call it to me? How?"  
  
Yosho now started to smile. "Then that is what we will start the training with."  
  
______  
  
"Boy, I feel so much better! That dip was perfect!"  
  
"Yeah princess, let's go see if Tenchi is done meditating yet."  
  
"Yes, let us do that."  
  
Ryoko and Ayeka walked into the house in good spirits. They took a look around when they got inside to see Sasami, Ryo-Ohki and Nobuyuki sitting on the couch watching television. Nobuyuki looked over to them. "Hey girls, have a nice dip?"  
  
Ryoko smiled at him. "Yeah, it was great! Oh hey, is Tenchi done with that meditating thing?"  
  
"Yeah," Nobuyuki answered while scratching the back of his head, "He ran down here and was about to go to you girls, but then Dad came in and told him that he wanted him to train a bit."  
  
Both girls slumped their shoulders and drooped their heads, sigh bubbles escaping their mouths.  
  
Ryoko stood back up and shrugged. "I think I'll take a quick nap." She stretched and then phased onto her napping rafter above them.  
  
Sasami got up off the couch and started to walk to the kitchen. She stopped and looked over at Ryo-Ohki, who was still watching television. "Hey Ryo- Ohki, I'm going to start with dinner, do you want to help?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki waved her hand up, saying, "Later," all the while not taking her focus of the television.  
  
Sasami giggled lightly and walked into the kitchen, thinking, 'Hmm, what will I make today?'  
  
______  
  
"...This is Detective First-Class Mihoshi out!" exclaimed the GP officer with a sharp salute as she finished her oral report to head quarters. "Yukinojo?"  
  
"Yes Miss Mihoshi?" answered the main intelligence unit of Mihoshi's ship.  
  
"Send the report to HQ please."  
  
"Yes Ma'am!"  
  
Mihoshi stretched for a couple of seconds and started to smile. "And now we can go home! I can't wait to get there, I'm starving!" Mihoshi jumped into the pilot's seat, turned on the engines and blasted away to her home away from home, earth.  
  
______  
  
Tenchi and Yosho were now at the training grounds in the forest near the shrine. Yosho was watching as Tenchi tries to summon the Tenchi-ken and gives him advice to help him towards his goal.  
  
"That's it Tenchi, concentrate. Imagine the Master Key coming into your hands."  
  
Tenchi's eyes were closed as he concentrated on his grandfather's instructions. He could feel a warmth coursing through his body, and suddenly, he felt something in his hands. He opened his eyes to see the Tenchi-ken resting in his hands. A large smile escaped his lips as he looked up too his grandfather, who was also smiling.  
  
"Well done Tenchi," Yosho started, "you successfully called the Master Key to you, now I want to see how well you use it." He reached inside of his training shirt and pulled out an energy sword.  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile in a strange and unusual dimension hidden from the mortal world, the goddess Tokimi ponders her next move. She watches with interest as the former prince Yosho trains his grandson, the crown prince Tenchi.  
  
"He should be able to create five Lighthawk Wings. It is very curious in that he can only summon three. This requires more attention, D3."  
  
The demi-god and servant of Tokimi appears in front of her. "Yes Lady Tokimi?"  
  
"Send one of our servants to the Masaki Residence on earth. I want to keep a close eye on my dear sisters and Tsunami's Knight."  
  
"As you wish." And with that, D3 disappeared.  
  
______  
  
"Mihoshi! Mihoshi! Wake up Mihoshi!"  
  
Mihoshi's eyes fluttered opened. She let out a long yawn while asking, "What is it Yukinojo?"  
  
"You have an urgent message from Head Quarters."  
  
She sat up in her chair, suddenly alert. "An urgent message? Patch it through Yukinojo."  
  
"Yes Ma'am!"  
  
A screen appears in front of her and Captain Nobeyama is on the screen. Mihoshi stands up and salutes him. He starts right away, "At ease Detective Mihoshi," he waits until she stops her salute before he starts again, "I'm glad I could get through to you. I just brisked through your report and it seems that, aside from the visit from the Emperor of Jurai and his wives, that not much else has happened in your area, is that correct?"  
  
"Yes!" Mihoshi chimes in, "All has been pretty well in my sector."  
  
The Captain looks relieved. "That is great." He stops for a moment to wipe his brow with a hanker chief. He looks back at Mihoshi, now smiling. "Now for other matters. You've just been assigned a new partner."  
  
Mihoshi's eyes go wide. "Really?"  
  
"Yes. She was near your area when she was assigned so she will make it to earth before you. I think that you will be surprised to know that she personally requested to be your partner, despite your past history with her."  
  
Mihoshi starts to look both confused and excited. "I know her? Who is she?"  
  
"Your new partner is Lieutenant..."  
  
Someone watching Yukinojo from the outside would have sworn that it was exploding from the way it shook when Mihoshi shouted, "WHAT!?"  
  
______  
  
"Tenchi! Stop trying to hit me, that won't work! Let your powers guide you! Focus!"  
  
Tenchi jumped back away from his grandfather. 'He's right,' he thought to himself, 'I'm always trying to hard to hit him or any of my targets. I still have trouble using this sword at times.'  
  
"Come on Tenchi, focus! Feel your powers, they will be the deciding factor in a fight, whether you can properly use them or not."  
  
Tenchi closed his eyes and began to focus. Suddenly, he felt his entire body relax, as he was earlier while in meditation. He could almost smell the cinnamon incense. He opened his eyes, focused. Before he knew what he was doing, he was charging straight at his grandfather.  
  
Yosho blocked the attack just in time. Suddenly Tenchi came at him with a furry of attacks, each one just narrowly blocked or dodged in time. Yosho was now acting on pure instinct, his grandson attacking him with such speed and determination that he didn't have time to even think.  
  
Tenchi went in quick with a swipe followed with a leg sweep. Yosho blocked the swipe, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the leg sweep and was knocked on the ground. He was about to get back up, but the sound of a humming blade very close to his neck stopped him in his tracks.  
  
He looked up to see Tenchi standing over him, a look of extreme concentration on his face, pointing the Tenchi-ken at his neck. Tenchi and Yosho both broke into identical grins.  
  
"Excellent Tenchi! That was wonderful! I would not like to be your enemy!"  
  
Tenchi started to laugh while he reached down and took his grandfather's hand to pull him up. After Yosho got back up, he began to dust himself off.  
  
Tenchi looked down at the sword, it's blade now gone. "I focused on when I was meditating, when my body and mind were both relaxed. I suddenly felt a power surge through me and before I knew what I was doing, I was attacking you like I never had before."  
  
Yosho looked at Tenchi thoughtfully. "That is why I recommended that you meditate Tenchi, to help focus your body and mind. With both focused on fighting me, your powers activated and gave you the power you just displayed."  
  
Tenchi scratched the back of his head with his free hand, amazed. "Wow, does this mean that I might be able to activate my Light Hawk Wings?"  
  
"Possibly, but we will leave that until tomorrow. Right now you have chores to do."  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot. I'll get right on that grandpa," said as he turned around and walked towards the shrine.  
  
"Tenchi," Yosho suddenly yells out. His grandson turns around. "Good work today, I am proud of you."  
  
Tenchi smiles like a child. He says, "Thanks grandpa!" before turning around again and running towards the shrine.  
  
Yosho chuckles to himself. "You are growing up very fast now Tenchi. If our next training sessions are anything like this one, I have no doubt that you will be able to successfully activate your Lighthawk Wings."  
  
______  
  
"Ryo-Ohki, you finally decided to come and help with dinner?"  
  
"Yeah, show's over," replied the teen.  
  
Sasami giggled at her friend. "Well I started kinda early so right now I'm making some small snacks. I'm just about done with them, can you bring them out to everybody?"  
  
"Sure," replied Ryo-Ohki as she took the tray out to the living room.  
  
______  
  
"Ah Ryo-Ohki, you brought us some snacks!"  
  
"That is good, I was getting a little hungry."  
  
Ryoko, Ayeka and Washu were all sitting on the living room couch, having some 'girl talk' as Tenchi likes to put it. Nobuyuki went up to his old room, which is now Mihoshi's. He still keeps some of his old design plans in there for research.  
  
Ryo-Ohki sat down next to Ryoko and they started to eat the snacks. Ryoko watched them slightly enviously. Washu noticed her daughter's actions, as well as some of her thoughts. An idea quickly came to her. "You know Ryoko, I could perform a simple operation to give you your sense of taste."  
  
Ryoko's head shot up, she was looking torn between not caring and excitement. She tried to act normally when she said, "Why would I want to be able to taste things?"  
  
Washu sat up, now with a mischievous smile on her face. "Because if you could taste, then you could make edible meals for Tenchi and possibly impress him."  
  
Ryoko felt a flush go across her face as the other girls giggled at her. She looked around embarrassed. "Well, since you put it that way, I guess I'll go do it."  
  
Washu jumped off of her seat, thoroughly excited. "Great!" she started, "Let's get a move on!" She then grabbed Ryoko's hand and began to drag her into her lab.  
  
Ryoko yanked her hand back to her. "Wait Mom! How long is this going to take?"  
  
"No time at all!" she answered, "I thought that you'd want your sense of taste sooner or later, so I had everything ready for you when you were! The small surgery should only take about one hour, and you will be able to taste by dinner!"  
  
Ryoko didn't say anything, but reluctantly let her mother drag into her lab. Just before the door shut behind her, she shouted out, "Wish me luck," to Ryo-Ohki and Ayeka.  
  
The teen looked over to the princess, looking slightly worried. "I hope that it goes good."  
  
Ayeka giggled and said, "You mean 'well'. 'I hope that it goes well'. And yes, so do I."  
  
Ryo-Ohki just shrugged her shoulders and helped herself to another snack. Sasami then walked in from the kitchen. "Hey, what was all that noise about?"  
  
"Oh nothing Sasami," Ayeka started, "Wa...I mean Little Washu is going to give Ryoko her ability to taste."  
  
The little princess' eyes lit up. "Really? So she can finally enjoy my cooking!? Ooh I'm gonna make something really nice!" And with that, she ran back into the kitchen.  
  
Ryo-Ohki suddenly looked at Washu's lab thoughtfully. "saké."  
  
Ayeka looked over at Ryo-Ohki confused. "What did you just say Ryo-Ohki?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked back to Ayeka smiling. "Ryoko and saké."  
  
Suddenly the thought dawned on Ayeka. She started giggling. "Oh I see now, you make a good point. I also wonder how much Ryoko will like saké now that she can taste it."  
  
Both girls started to giggle mischievously.  
  
______  
  
Mihoshi was speeding towards the earth as fast as she could, feeling happier than she has in years. She was practically singing out loud, "Oh I can't wait to see her again! This is gonna be great!"  
  
______  
  
About an hour and a half later, everybody, minus Mihoshi, were sitting around the table eating dinner. It was a very enjoyable and memorable dinner. Ryoko was visibly enjoying the food, and her newfound sense of taste. Her eyes kept on lighting up each time she put another piece of food in her mouth. Sasami went into a fit of giggles each time she saw Ryoko's expression. Tenchi told them all about the training session her had earlier and everyone was impressed.  
  
Ryoko folded her hands on Tenchi's right shoulder and put her chin onto her hands. She looked at him with those beautiful, feline-like eyes while saying, "Oh my Tenchi is getting so strong!"  
  
Tenchi looked over to her and smiled. "You know it!"  
  
Everyone looked over at Ayeka to see how she would respond, but she just simply looked over at them and shook her head and smirked lightly while still eating.  
  
Washu was sitting next to Yosho as usual, but he still wasn't talking to her much. She kept on turning to him, looking like she was about to say something, but changed her mind at the last moment.  
  
A knock at the front door diverted everyone's attention. Tenchi got up and went to see who it is. He opened the door and stood face to face with a pair of pretty blue eyes that belong to a very beautiful woman. She was a little taller than Tenchi, and from the look of her clothes, she appeared to be a Galaxy Police officer. Her uniform was slightly different from Mihoshi's. She had on an orange tie and orange fingerless gloves. She did not wear a hat, but an orange headband that stopped just below her hairline, which was long and dark green.  
  
She saluted Tenchi as soon as he opened the door. "Greetings, I am Detective First-Class Mihoshi's new partner, Lieutenant Kiyone Makibi."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: I've been wanting to bring in Kiyone right from the get go. She is one of my favorite characters in the Tenchi series. I like the thought that she is sort of a bad guy right now, being one of Tokimi's servants and all. Soon things will fall into place and the goddess wars will begin!  
  
Questions or Comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Kiyone Joins the Party! 


	7. Kiyone Joins the Party!

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
______  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 7:  
  
Kiyone Joins the party!  
  
______  
  
"Greetings, I am Detective First-Class Mihoshi's new partner, Lieutenant Kiyone Makibi."  
  
Tenchi took a step back. "Partner?"  
  
Kiyone smiled at the boy who opened the door. 'He's kinda cute,' she thought to herself. "Yes, I was just reassigned to be Detective Mihoshi's partner earlier."  
  
Tenchi frowned at her. "Um," he started, "how did you get here before Mihoshi did?"  
  
"I was near your area when I was given my reassignment. My Commander has informed me that Detective Mihoshi will be here shortly."  
  
Tenchi smiled at her. "Oh, well come on in, we are all eating dinner. Are you hungry?"  
  
"I am a little, thank you very much sir." Kiyone followed Tenchi into the dining room. She was met by a large group of people, most not from this planet. Though she was briefed on all of the people, it was still quite a sight of people all in one room.  
  
"Ah Tenchi," Nobuyuki started as he saw Tenchi walk in with Kiyone, "You brought in a very pretty young lady, good job!"  
  
Kiyone blushed lightly, but she held her composure as she said, "I am Lieutenant Kiyone Makibi, Detective First-Class Mihoshi's new partner."  
  
Everyone looked up, surprised. Ryoko spoke up, "You're Mihoshi's new partner? I give you two weeks before you run away from here screaming."  
  
Everyone began to laugh, but quickly turned their laughs into hacking coughs. Kiyone didn't look phased. "I have served with Detective Mihoshi before and I am well aware of how she is."  
  
Everyone looked even more surprised. "You've served with her before?" started Washu, "are you sure that you didn't get hit in the head and suffer from some sort of amnesia?"  
  
Tenchi had to cover his mouth with his hand and look away while leaning against the wall to prevent himself from laughing as hard as he could. Everyone else covered their faces and shook uncontrollably. After a couple of seconds, Ayeka regained herself and frowned lightly. "Kiyone, Kiyone, I think Mihoshi has mentioned you before." Her eyes suddenly got wide. "Yes! I remember! You were her partner in her story about some sort of ultra- energy or something like that."  
  
Sasami stood up. "Oh yeah, I remember that story!" She then turns to Kiyone. "She said that you died when you fell into the energy pit."  
  
Kiyone frowned lightly at the little princess. "No I didn't die, but I was stuck on top of the remains of the evil scientist's ship until I was found and rescued."  
  
Suddenly the sound of a ship landing nearby diverts everyone's attention. They all look up and the entire house vibrates as the ship gets closer. Everyone except Washu and Kiyone cringe slightly as they prepare for the crash but suddenly, the rumbling stops. Washu smiles. "Well, it looks like my invention works. We don't have to worry about her crashing every time she comes home."  
  
"She crashes every time she comes here?" Kiyone asks in astonishment. She looks around the room and everyone nods. "Well I remember that she was a little clumsy but never that bad!"  
  
The door to Washu's lab opens and Mihoshi runs out. She takes one look at Kiyone and bursts into tears while running to her partner. "Kiyone! It's you, it's really you!" She embraces her partner in a giant hug. "Oh when I thought that you had died, I was so sad! You were such a great partner!"  
  
Kiyone pats Mihoshi awkwardly on her head, all the while saying, "It's all right Mihoshi, I'm fine. Actually I have to thank you for what you did."  
  
Mihoshi let go of her partner and pulled away from her, tears still streaming down her face. "Thank me? Why?"  
  
"After you accidentally knocked me into that energy pit, I got stuck far away and had to wait for someone to come and rescue me. It took them a long time, but when they did, I worked harder than I ever had to regain my position in the GP. In no time, I not only got my old spot back, but I was then promoted to Lieutenant!"  
  
Mihoshi stopped crying and her eyes started to light up. "Really?"  
  
Kiyone was now smiling. "Yes Mihoshi. And now I'm back to be your partner."  
  
Mihoshi started to smile too. "Oh that's great Kiyone!" she then looked around the room, "do you know who everybody is?"  
  
"Yes Mihoshi, I was briefed on all of the residents of this house while I was on my way here."  
  
Yosho stood up. "Well now that that is settled, let's all settle down and finish dinner."  
  
Everyone sat down, they all had to sit a little closer to each other to make room for Kiyone, who sat next to Mihoshi. After that, dinner went along nicely, Mihoshi and Kiyone recapped on what each have been doing lately. Sasami still giggled each time Ryoko took a bite of her cooking. The ex-pirate was definitely enjoying the ability to taste.  
  
Yosho finished and stood up. "Tenchi," he started, "meet me outside by the lake when you are finished, I need to have a talk with you."  
  
Tenchi looked up at his grandfather, worried. "Uh, sure grandpa. I should be out in a few minutes."  
  
"Very well," he replied as he walked out of the house.  
  
Within a few minutes, Tenchi finished his dinner. He put his plate into the kitchen and walked to the front door to have the talk with his grandfather. He yelled out, "See you guys later!" as he ran out the front door.  
  
Kiyone watched him thoughtfully. She turned back to everyone while asking, "So, he is the guy who can create the Lighthawk Wings?"  
  
Ayeka looked up from her meal. "Yes he is."  
  
"Wow, that is amazing."  
  
"Yeah," Ryoko said dreamily, "he sure is."  
  
______  
"So grandpa, what do you want to talk to me about?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about your decision with the girls."  
  
Tenchi stopped in his tracks. He didn't expect his grandfather to talk to him about that. "Uh, why do you want to talk about that grandpa?"  
  
Yosho stopped walking also to turn around and face his grandson. "Because I know that you have come up with a decision. I don't know what it is and I don't want to know."  
  
"B...but grandpa, how did you know that I came up with a decision?"  
  
Yosho smiled lightly. "Whatever else could be occupying your mind so much that you need to meditate to try to come up with a solution?"  
  
Tenchi smiled rather guiltily as he and Yosho began to walk again. "Yeah, you got me there."  
  
"Any way, I don't want you to reveal you decision to anyone yet."  
  
"What!? Why not grandpa?"  
  
Yosho stopped to look at his grandson very seriously. "Because Tenchi, the time is not right. I am glad that you have finally begun to explore your feelings and emotions for the girls but you must not decide as of yet."  
  
"But when can I grandpa?"  
  
"Trust me Tenchi, when the time comes, you will know."  
  
Tenchi scratched the back of his head. "Okay grandpa, if you say so."  
  
"Thank you for understanding Tenchi. Any way, how about that Kiyone? She's cute!"  
  
"Grandpa!"  
  
______  
"So tell me Princess Ayeka, do you like it here?"  
  
"Well at first I wasn't very happy at the thought of being stuck here on this remote planet, but I soon adjusted and I like to think of this place as my home away from home. Sure I have some chores that I have to do, but I also have a lot of time to myself to relax and enjoy life."  
  
"Do you miss being at Jurai?"  
  
"Sometimes. I do like the thought of being waited on hand and foot, but I also have a lot of responsibilities while in Jurai. I am constantly being taught how to look and how to act and how to be a perfect ruler. It can be quite frustrating at times."  
  
Kiyone and Ayeka were sitting on the living room couch. Kiyone was very interested in trying to get to know everyone in the house since everyone, well besides Nobuyuki, has an interesting past and/or special powers.  
  
"And what about your little sister Princess Sasami? How does she like it here?"  
  
"Oh she loves it here! She was the one that made the dinner we all just ate!"  
  
Kiyone looked astonished. "She made dinner? It was delicious!"  
  
Ayeka laughed lightly at the GP officer. "Yes, my little sister is quite the cook. By cooking for us, I think that it makes her feel needed and important. We all do our fair share of work and chores around the house, like one big happy family!"  
  
Kiyone smiles at the crown princess. "It sounds very nice here Princess Ayeka."  
  
"Please," Ayeka interrupted, "just call me Ayeka, there is no need for formalities here. Like I said, we are all family.  
  
"Oh sure Prin...I mean Ayeka."  
  
Ayeka smiled. "That's better."  
  
______  
"Hey Washu, watcha doing?"  
  
"Hello Mihoshi, I am running a few tests on Ryoko to check on her new sense of taste."  
  
"Oh, sounds interesting, can I stay and watch?"  
  
"Only as long as you don't touch anything."  
  
"What," the bubblehead asks, "like this?" She then pushes the closest button to her.  
  
"NO! DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Washu screams as a machine blows up next to her.  
  
"Oops! I can fix it!" Mihoshi yells as she gets ready to push any and every button near her. Suddenly, she is encased in a giant bubble of green goop.  
  
Washu starts to laugh in triumph. "Dr. Clay gave me that idea! Now out with you!" she proclaims as she pushes the goop with Mihoshi trapped inside out of her lab.  
  
Once Mihoshi is out, Washu turns back to Ryoko. "Now that she's out, I can get back to business." She starts to type away on her holo-computer and several small probes start to go over Ryoko's body. "So my little Ryoko," the little genius starts, "how did you enjoy tasting?"  
  
Ryoko grins where her fangs poke out. "It was amazing! I never knew how good Sasami's cooking was! Now I have another reason to enjoy meals besides flirting with Tenchi!"  
  
Both women burst out laughing.  
  
______  
Sasami and Ryo-Ohki were in the princess' room looking through some clothes that Nobuyuki had bought for Ryo-Ohki a few days ago. Ryo-Ohki picked up a very pretty kimono, similar to some of Ayeka's. "Sasami, what do you think of this?"  
  
"Oh Ryo-Ohki, that looks beautiful!" Sasami said in awe, "It looks like one of Ayeka's!"  
  
"Yeah, I saw it and really liked it."  
  
Sasami gave her friend a sly grin. "So, you want to look good for Tenchi?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki began to blush furiously as the little princess laughed  
  
______  
Tenchi and Yosho just walked back into the house. The sight that met their eyes was Ayeka and Kiyone sitting down on the couch having a nice conversation.  
  
"Brother Yosho, Lord Tenchi, you were not out for very long!"  
  
"Yes Ayeka, I only wanted to discuss something with Tenchi. Speaking of which, Tenchi, please give Miss Kiyone a tour of the rest of the grounds."  
  
Ayeka narrowed her eyes at her brother, who gave her a corny smile.  
  
"Huh? Oh, okay grandpa. Miss Kiyone?"  
  
Kiyone stands up and walks towards Tenchi. "Just call me Kiyone, okay?"  
  
Tenchi smiled awkwardly. "All right." He then led Kiyone out of the house for a tour of the entire Masaki Residence.  
  
Ayeka's head shot up towards Yosho. "Brother, what was that all about?"  
  
Yosho sat down next to Ayeka, trying to look confused. "What are you talking about Ayeka?"  
  
The crown princess' temper was quickly rising. Her face was scrunching up in obvious anger. "Are you trying to get Tenchi together with her?"  
  
Yosho scratched the back of his head, looking confused. "Who?"  
  
Ayeka stood up, her anger getting the better of her. "You know who I'm talking about! That Kiyone woman!"  
  
Yosho shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not trying to do anything, I just want Tenchi to give our new houseguest a tour. It only seems proper."  
  
Ayeka was about to say something, when the door to Washu's lab opened and out poured a giant green glob. Both Yosho and Ayeka backed away, thinking that it was another one of Washu's inventions. As soon as the door shut, the green goop disappeared; leaving Mihoshi sprawled on the floor. She quickly gets up and dusts herself off. "Oh my, what just happened to me? Oh well," she stopped to yawn very loudly, "I'm getting kinda tired, I'm gonna take a short nap." And she walked up the stairs to her room.  
  
"How much sleep does she need in a day?" Ayeka asks to her self out loud. She turns back to the couch to talk to her brother, only to find that her isn't there. She does a quick look around the room and sees him trying to sneak off into the kitchen without her noticing. "Brother!" She screams at him.  
  
Yosho jumps and turns to Ayeka, smiling awkwardly. "I was...well...I uh...need to attend to business at the shrine so if you excuse me..." he trailed off as he began to walk to the kitchen, towards the back exit.  
  
"Oh you are not getting off that easily Yosho," she yelled angrily at him, "I am not through with you yet!"  
  
Yosho moaned lightly as her sulked his way back to the couch.  
  
______  
"Wow, this place is amazing!" Kiyone said in awe as Tenchi led her into a high clearing that showed off the entire grounds in its all of its splendor.  
  
"Yeah," Tenchi started looking thoughtful, "I like to come here sometimes and think, I find it peaceful and relaxing."  
  
Kiyone was still gazing down at the grounds. 'I must admit,' she thought to herself, 'for a relatively remote and unknown planet, this place is quite beautiful!'  
  
Tenchi was watching Kiyone with interest. 'Man,' he thought while eyeing her, 'she is very pretty.' Tenchi then realized that he was staring at her, and quickly looked away. He scolded himself lightly for staring at her.  
  
Kiyone turned back to Tenchi, who was acting kind of awkward. She chuckled to herself when she noticed that he seemed to not try to look at her. 'And why not? I am very attractive,' she thought with a small grin.  
  
Tenchi glanced back at her and saw that she was now looking at him. He went rigid and blushed, causing her to giggle at him. "So, let's continue with the tour," he spat out, trying to regain himself.  
  
"Hey Tenchi, what's that?" Kiyone asked as she pointed towards the largest tree in the forest.  
  
"Oh, that's my grandpa's former spaceship tree Funaho."  
  
"Wow, a Jurai tree? I've never seen one before. Can we go down and see it?"  
  
Tenchi smiled warmly at her. "Sure, let's go."  
  
______  
"Cool, so everything's okay?"  
  
"Yes Ryoko, I've gone over you several times, everything is fine. Your sense of taste is functioning properly."  
  
Ryoko jumped off of the operating table she was just laying on, looking happy. "Great! I'm going back into the house, you coming?"  
  
"Not yet, I still need to go over a few things. I'll be out soon."  
  
"Okay, later Mom."  
  
Washu looked up from her monitor smiling. "I love it when you call me 'Mom,' it makes me feel so special!"  
  
Ryoko rolled her eyes. She says, "Whatever," as she walks out of the lab.  
  
______  
"This tree is so huge!" Kiyone exclaimed as she walked up to Funaho.  
  
"Yeah, Ayeka once told me that Jurai trees can be humongous, plus it never looses its leaves in the winter."  
  
"It's beautiful," Kiyone said as she placed her hands on Yosho's tree.  
  
"I know something that is more beautiful," Tenchi says while watching the GP officer.  
  
Kiyone's head snapped towards Tenchi. She asks, "What did you just say?" while beginning to turn red.  
  
Tenchi went rigid again as he blushed even more than earlier. 'Did I say that out loud?' Tenchi thought to himself. "Well I...ur...I think that I have some chores to do right now, I hope you enjoyed the tour Mis...I mean Kiyone," Tenchi said hurriedly as he stumbles backwards. He then turns around and runs towards the shrine.  
  
Kiyone begins to giggle again. "I think that I'm going to like this place a lot," she softly spoke as she began to walk to the shrine.  
  
______  
"Well it looks like our agent has made it into the house with little trouble Lady Tokimi."  
  
"Yes it does D3, and it appears that she is warming up to Tsunami's Knight. This could prove interesting. Please leave me D3, I need to recollect my thoughts."  
  
"As you wish, Lady Tokimi."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Author's notes: A new woman, a new love? Things are getting really interesting in the Masaki household.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: New Friends, New...Romances? 


	8. New Friends, New Romances?

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai, Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 8:  
  
New Friends, New...Romances?  
  
It's been a few days since Kiyone arrived and everything is going well at the Masaki Residence. It is pretty early in the morning and almost everybody is sleeping, except Tenchi Masaki, who is right now enjoying an early bath.  
  
"Ah, nothing like a nice relaxing dip the first thing in the morning," says the 'boy who can create the Lighthawk Wings.' Tenchi got up a little earlier than normal to both take an early bath and dip in the floating onsen, and also to elude the girls from trying to go in with him. "The only person I have to worry about is Washu. I have no idea what kinds of surveillance stuff she has hidden around here..."  
  
______  
  
"Boy you don't know how right you are Tenchi!" Washu exclaimed with a mischievous smile. She was sitting in front of her monitor with a bowl of popcorn. "This isn't like the movies," she starts as she eats some popcorn, "this is way better!"  
  
______  
  
"Well I'd better get back to the house, everybody's going to get up soon." Tenchi got up and began to walk towards the exit, where his clothes are. He hears something behind him and turns around quickly, but sees nothing. 'Its probably just some little animal or one of Washu's inventions,' he thinks to himself. He turns back around and starts to walk back, only to bump into someone.  
  
"Ouch!" Kiyone shouts in surprise as the two collide.  
  
As the two of them stumbled backwards from each other, they both accidentally drop their towels. Both blush furiously as they grab their towels and cover themselves back up. Kiyone is the first to respond, talking very hurriedly and nervously. "I'm really sorry!"  
  
Tenchi waves her apology aside, talking just like Kiyone. "Oh, don't worry, an accident!"  
  
"Yeah, an accident!"  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks!" Kiyone regains her composure. "Um Tenchi, we really don't have any reason to be nervous by each other like this."  
  
Tenchi gulps. "Uh yeah, you're right."  
  
"We are both mature people, right?"  
  
Tenchi stands a little straighter, trying to look impressive. "Yes, we are."  
  
Kiyone giggles. "All right, I am going to take my bath now, see you back at the house Tenchi."  
  
"Oh, okay Kiyone." And both walked away from each other. But unbeknownst to each other, both had small smirks on their faces.  
  
'Man,' Tenchi thought to himself while he changed, 'she is something else. I'm a pretty lucky guy!'  
  
Kiyone was starting to take her soak as she thought, 'Goodness, now I can see why all the girls are into him so much!'  
  
______  
  
Washu narrowed her eyes as she watched Tenchi and Kiyone in the onsen. "If Ryoko finds out about this, she'll kill the both of them! I think that I'll keep this event a secret." She then had one of her monitors follow Tenchi. "I don't get it, a few days ago, he looked like he was going to spill all his emotions out, and tell my little Ryoko how he feels for her. But now he is calming back down. Why?"  
  
______  
  
Ryoko's eyes flutter open as she begins to wake up. She is resting on her usual spot on the rafters. She begins to stretch when she hears the front door open. The ex-pirate looks down to see Tenchi walking in. She phases down behind him and hugs him from behind. "Good morning Tenchi."  
  
"Morning Ryoko."  
  
"What were you doing out so early?"  
  
"I was taking an early bath."  
  
Ryoko started to look hurt. "Why didn't you wake me up? We could've taken a bath together!"  
  
Tenchi blushed lightly, but smiled at her. "You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn't want to disturb you."  
  
"I wouldn't have minded if you were the one to wake me up," Ryoko says in her most seductive voice.  
  
Tenchi felt himself tense up. Apparently Ryoko felt him tense up too. "Ooh, you are getting so tense. How about we have a dip later? Afterwards I could give you a massage?"  
  
Tenchi laughs at her. He then thinks for a second and turns around to face her, looking very calm and serious. "That sounds like it might be nice Ryoko. Who knows, if I feel like it later then I might do it."  
  
Ryoko's face lit up. "Really? You mean it?"  
  
"Maybe Ryoko."  
  
"Okay Tenchi, I promise I'll be good and everything all day!" And with that she teleported away.  
  
Tenchi looked around confused. "Where did she go? Oh well, she'll be back later." Tenchi then sat down on the living room couch and turned on the television. He started to grin as he thought of his little chat his grandfather. 'He said that I couldn't tell them anything, but he never said that I can't do anything with any of them. Maybe I will go up on Ryoko's offer.'  
  
Just then, Sasami came walking down the stairs. "Hi Tenchi! What are you doing up so early?"  
  
"Hey Sasami, I decided to take an early bath this morning."  
  
"Oh, that sounds nice. I'm going to make breakfast, do you want to help?"  
  
Tenchi smiled warmly at her. "Sure, I'd love to help."  
  
Sasami's eyes go very wide. "You really want to?"  
  
Tenchi stood up and turned off the weather report: eighty degrees and sunny all daylong! "Yes. Besides, I don't have anything better to do, I just planted some vegetables yesterday so I have some time to myself for a while."  
  
"Alright, let's go make breakfast!" Sasami cheered as she grabbed Tenchi's hand and led him into the kitchen.  
  
______  
  
Washu was checking up on some of her experiments when Ryoko phased in. "Good Morning Ryoko."  
  
"Morning Mom," Ryoko started distractedly, "could you help me with something?"  
  
Washu looked up from her monitor. "Sure Ryoko, what is it?"  
  
Ryoko scratched the back of her head. "Um...do you know what a massage is?"  
  
Washu raised an eyebrow at her daughter. "Yes I do, why are you asking?"  
  
"Well...um," she was looking uncomfortable, "I sorta told Tenchi that I'd like to give him one later, but I don't know how to!"  
  
Washu suddenly smiled. She chimed out, "It's for Tenchi? Sure I'll teach you how! Follow me!" as she led Ryoko deeper into her lab.  
  
______  
  
Kiyone just walked into the house, looking very happy. "Oh that floating onsen is amazing! I think I'll take another bath later." She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, so she walked towards them to the living room to see Ayeka and Ryo-Ohki walking down the stairs. "Morning guys."  
  
"Good morning Kiyone," Ayeka yawned.  
  
"Mornin!" chimed in Ryo-Ohki.  
  
Delicious smells of Sasami's cooking travel into the living room. All three girls close their eyes and sniff the air. Ryo-Ohki's eyes shot open. She yelled, "I should be helping her!" as she ran into the kitchen.  
  
Both women giggled at the teen's antics. Kiyone sniffed the air again while asking, "Boy, she can be very helpful, can't she?"  
  
"Well she and my sister are best friends. Actually, they are each other's first best friends so they tend to be very close with each other."  
  
Kiyone began to smile again. "That's sweet. I think I'd better go wake up my partner, so if you'll excuse me princess." Ayeka moved aside to let Kiyone go up the stairs to get Mihoshi. When Kiyone disappeared upstairs, Ryo-Ohki came out from the kitchen.  
  
"Ryo-Ohki, why are you not helping my sister?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked at the Crown Princess. "Tenchi's helping."  
  
"Lord Tenchi?"  
  
"Yeah," she muttered as she walked back upstairs.  
  
"Ryo-Ohki," asked the princess, "What are you doing?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki froze. "Uh, changing." She then ran up the rest of the stairs.  
  
"Now why would she need to change? She already." suddenly a thought dawned on Ayeka. She started to giggle. "Oh that is so cute, she must have a small crush on Lord Tenchi." She stopped laughing and started to look worried. "Oh my, she is rather attractive, I had better keep an eye on her."  
  
______  
  
"So you see, you have to be both gentle and rough at the same time."  
  
"Huh? That makes no sense."  
  
Washu was sitting on top of a dummy she was using to show Ryoko how to massage. There was a monitor nearby that was showing the status of the dummy. Washu hops off of it. "Ryoko, hop up, I'll guide you through this, showing you isn't helping."  
  
Ryoko did as she was told. "Okay, now what?"  
  
______  
  
A few hours later, Tenchi and Yosho are training, trying to get Tenchi to release his Lighthawk Wings. He has gotten close several times, but they haven't appeared in their entirety. Kiyone decided to go to this session. She wanted to see the Lighthawk Wings up close.  
  
Tenchi is standing up with his eyes closed and his hands pressed together like he was praying. Yosho is walking around him giving him advice.  
  
"Tenchi, focus! Remember everything around you when you were meditating. Feel the heat from the candle. Smell the incense. Free your mind."  
  
"Alright there Morpheus!" Tenchi yelled at his grandfather, "I could focus a lot better if you could be a little more quiet!"  
  
Yosho gave his grandson a nasty look, but as his eyes were closed, it had no effect. He looked over to see Kiyone watching Tenchi closely. He suddenly got an idea. Yosho walked over to Kiyone and whispered something into her ear. She nodded and slowly walked over to Tenchi.  
  
'Focus Tenchi focus!' Tenchi was trying to set his mind straight, but it wasn't going too well. Something was nagging him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't find out what it was. Suddenly he heard a sweet soft voice talking to him.  
  
"Tenchi, I know you can do it, I believe in you."  
  
'Kiyone!?' his mind retorted. Suddenly he felt focused, his mind and body were operating like they had when he had fought and beaten his grandfather just a few days ago. Tenchi felt an amazing surge of power come from him. Three triangles began to glow on his forehead. He opened his eyes to see three Lighthawk Wings glowing in front of him. A large smile escaped his lips.  
  
"Excellent Tenchi!" Yosho cheered, "You did it! You activated your Lighthawk Wings!"  
  
"Wow!" came a voice next to Tenchi. He looked over to see Kiyone next to him smiling.  
  
"You...you were actually talking to me?" he said to her astonished.  
  
"Yeah," she admitted looking rather guiltily, "your grandpa suggested it." She then smiled at him.  
  
Tenchi smiled too, and suddenly he felt more power coming from him. He looked over to see his three Lighthawk Wings, and two more appearing between the lower one. They weren't complete though. They flickered like a light bulb at the end of its life. Tenchi looked towards his grandfather, astonished. Yosho's face bore an expression similar to that of Tenchi's.  
  
Suddenly the two extra Wings disappeared. Tenchi backed up in surprise and his other three Wings disappeared. "Grandpa, di...did you just see that?"  
  
"Yes I did Tenchi, but I am at a loss to explain."  
  
Tenchi looked over to Kiyone, smiling. Her eyes were shining at him. "Oh Tenchi, that was amazing! Those Lighthawk Wings are so cool!"  
  
Tenchi started to blush as his grandfather chuckled. "I think that that will be all for today. Good job Tenchi. Maybe tomorrow we can be just as successful, possibly find out about those other two Wings. You may go now Tenchi."  
  
"Thanks grandpa." Tenchi's face was still slightly red as he began the long walk back down to his house with Kiyone.  
  
"So Tenchi," Kiyone started, "could you tell me about the first time you activated your Lighthawk Wings?"  
  
Tenchi shook away the blush and smiled warmly at the GP officer. "Sure."  
  
______  
  
"Well D3, it appears that our agent has become even more useful than originally planned."  
  
"Yes it does Lady Tokimi."  
  
The goddess smiled lightly. "She may be the key to the boy fully unlocking his other two Wings. I need to recollect my thoughts again. D3 watch over them again and inform me of any interesting changes."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
______  
  
The door to Washu's lab opened and out walked the little scientist and her daughter, who was looking very pleased with herself. "Thanks for the tips Mom, I think I got it down pretty well."  
  
Washu giggled lightly. "Well at least you aren't crushing the dummy or blowing it up because you weren't massaging it correctly."  
  
"Well, it will be different with Tenchi," Ryoko said while shifting her shoulders uncomfortably.  
  
Washu frowned at her daughter. "I hope so. I'm really fond of the boy, I don't want anything bad to happen to him."  
  
"Nothing will," the pirate said angrily.  
  
"Yeah, sure," Washu said while rolling her eyes, "good luck."  
  
______  
  
Dinner came and went without too much trouble. Ryoko and Ayeka had a small fight over who should get the last piece of fish. Nothing major was destroyed but everyone was slightly charred. Everyone was very impressed with Tenchi finally being able to activate his Lighthawk Wings, and were very surprised with the two extra Wings the started to appear.  
  
"Two more?" asked Mihoshi between bites, "how did that happen?"  
  
Tenchi shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. I just activated the three of them, and then two more started to appear, but they weren't complete."  
  
Ayeka looked back and forth between her sister and Tenchi thoughtfully. She suddenly got an idea. "Maybe we could ask Tsunami about this, I mean, she is the one who helped Lord Tenchi activate his Wings in the first place."  
  
"Hmm, that is a very good idea Ayeka," Yosho started, "I don't know why I hadn't thought of that before."  
  
"Wait a minute," Kiyone started, "Tsunami, the goddess?"  
  
Ayeka smiled at her. "Yes, she and my sister are assimilated."  
  
Kiyone now stood up. "What!?"  
  
"It is a long story, we will tell you later."  
  
Kiyone frowned lightly. "Oh...okay."  
  
Ryoko looked over at her mother, who nodded and gave her a mischievous grin. Ryoko stood up, getting everyone's attention. "Well! Dinner was excellent Sasami!" she stopped to smile at the little princess, who beamed at her, "I think I'll take a quick dip." She grabbed her plate, winked at Tenchi, phased into the kitchen to put them into the sink, and then phased out to the onsen to wait for Tenchi to arrive. 'And he'd better!' she thought to herself, 'I didn't learn to massage and make him feel better for nothing!'  
  
Tenchi caught on and stood up. "Well, I'd better go out and check the vegetable fields and see how they are growing. I'll be back a little later." He then took his plate into the kitchen, deposited it into the sink and went outside to tend to the fields.  
  
Back at the table, Yosho was looking at Washu suspiciously. She was doing everything to avoid his gaze. He cleared his throat loudly and began to speak. "Little Washu, after you are done, could you take a walk with me to the shrine? We need to talk about something."  
  
Washu looked surprised. "Uh...okay Yosho."  
  
______  
  
Tenchi kept looking behind him to see if anybody was following him, but nobody was. He sighed deeply, "I guess they believed me," and made his way into the onsen where Ryoko was waiting for him.  
  
When he mad his way inside, she let out a sigh of relief, she wasn't too sure if he would come or not. "Hi Tenchi."  
  
"Hey Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko fidgeted around a bit. "So," she started, "you want to take a dip?"  
  
Tenchi began to smile. "Yeah, that sounds nice. Today has been...interesting. I could really use some relaxation."  
  
'Oh my Tenchi,' Ryoko thought with a grin, 'I doubt that you will get a lot of relaxation. The night is young, and you are mine!'  
  
To be continued...  
  
______  
  
Author's notes: I don't have much to say here except keep on reading.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Tokimi's Request 


	9. Tokimi's Request

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 9:  
  
Tokimi's Request  
  
Tenchi's eyes fluttered open. He yawned lightly and looked down at the spiky cyan hair on his chest and to who it belongs to. He began to smile while he watched her sleep. He tensed up as he thought of something. He took a quick look at himself and Ryoko. 'Phew, clothes are still on,' he sighed to himself.  
  
Last night, Ryoko offered to give Tenchi a massage to help him relax. 'She was really good,' he thought, 'I still feel all nice and relaxed!'  
  
For the next several minutes, Tenchi just lay there listening to Ryoko's heartbeat. As the smells of Sasami's cooking began to travel into his room, Tenchi decided to get up. He looked down to Ryoko and shook her lightly while saying, "Come on Ryoko, wake up," lightly to her. She stirred and moaned lightly, but didn't wake up. Tenchi smiled and then kissed her on her forehead. That did the job as she slowly lifted her head to look at him. "Good morning Ryoko."  
  
"Mornin' Tenchi."  
  
Tenchi reached up and caressed the side of her face. "You look so beautiful when you sleep."  
  
Ryoko instantly began to blush and try to cover her face with her hands. She shook herself back together and smiled back at him. "So, you enjoyed your massage?"  
  
"Oh yeah," he answered, now standing up, "That was just what I needed. Thanks Ryoko."  
  
Ryoko jumped off of his bed and stretched. "I'm just glad that you're happy my Tenchi." She teleported behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just tell me when you want another one and I'll be ready!"  
  
Tenchi was no shaking his head lightly. "Oh what would I do without you Ryoko?"  
  
"I dunno," she answered while shrugging her shoulders, "probably be miserable."  
  
They both laughed and Ryoko gave him a kiss on the cheek just as Ayeka was walking in. She stomped her foot and narrowed her eyes at the two of them.  
  
"Good Morning princess!" Ryoko said brightly to her, "did you sleep well by yourself? Tenchi kept me nice and warm all night long!" She was now smiling where her fangs were poking out.  
  
The princess huffed and stormed out of Tenchi's room. "Ayeka wait..." Tenchi tries to plead to her, but she wasn't listening to him.  
  
"Oh well Tenchi, let's go down for breakfast! Ayeka will be down there."  
  
Tenchi was about to say something, but stopped and shrugged and went downstairs with Ryoko.  
  
______  
  
Ayeka just ran into her and Sasami's room. She sobbed slightly as she collapsed on the floor. "Oh Tenchi," she started, "it seems as though you are drifting away from me. For a short while, Ryoko and I were willing to share you and we were quickly becoming friends, but now you are spending more and more time with her as I feel my old hatred and jealousy of her growing. Oh why my Tenchi? Why are you spacing yourself from me? What have I done?"  
  
Suddenly, Sasami shouts up, "Hey Ayeka, breakfast is ready!"  
  
"I will be down in a minute Sasami," she replies.  
  
"Okay!"  
  
Ayeka sniffs and stands back up, now looking determined. "I just have not been as foreword with my feelings as Ryoko has. Well I am through playing the shy, proper princess! From this moment on, I will be more direct and expressive with myself! Tenchi my love, soon you will love me as much as I love you, and to hell with the consequences!"  
  
______  
  
Up at the shrine, Washu was laying on top of a sleeping Yosho with a smile on her face. She started to trace her finger along his chest in a similar fashion as Ryoko does to Tenchi. She suddenly looked up at him suspiciously. "Are you awake or are you just dreaming of me?" she asked with a smirk.  
  
"Does it matter?" he replied, now opening his eyes, "Either way, you are here with me." The two of them began to laugh. "That was some way of apologizing to me last night," he said while scratching the back of his head.  
  
She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "Well buddy, that was a hell of a way to accept!" she replied with a devious smile.  
  
Yosho shook his head and chuckled, "It has been a long time since I have been in a no-win situation with a woman."  
  
"Well you'd better get used to it Yosho. I'm the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe, and I never loose a fight!" She is now standing over Yosho proudly.  
  
The former prince slapped his forehead and muttered, "What have I gotten myself into?"  
  
______  
  
"Mmm! Sasami, I know you probably are getting tired of hearing this, but your cooking is excellent!"  
  
"Thanks Kiyone," replied the little princess, "and I never get tired of people liking my cooking."  
  
Everyone around the table began to laugh. With the exception of Washu, Yosho and Nobuyuki, who was at work, everybody was now eating breakfast. Ayeka had regained her composure from earlier and was happily sitting at her usual spot next to Tenchi. "Lord Tenchi," she began, "will you be training with Brother Yosho today?"  
  
Tenchi looked up from his plate. "Yeah I will be. I really want to be able to completely activate my Lighthawk wings and find out what is going on with those other two."  
  
"That is good. I will be attending your session today."  
  
Ryoko shot Ayeka a suspicious look while Tenchi looked quizzically at her. "Why do you want to watch me practice Ayeka?"  
  
She smiled warmly. "Well, I have assigned you to be my protector while I stay here on earth. I am interested in seeing how well my protector's skills have developed," she added while placing her hands gently on his.  
  
Tenchi blushed lightly at that comment and pulled his right hand away to scratch the back of his head again. "Well I guess I wouldn't mind if you came."  
  
Just then, Mihoshi and Kiyone's Galaxy Police bracelets begin to beep. Kiyone takes one look at her bracelet and jumps up. "Someone is coming awfully close to this area." She then looks to everyone, "Sorry, but we need to investigate this at once. Come on Mihoshi." The two officers then run to the entrance to Washu's lab.  
  
A small alarm rings out as Mihoshi reaches for the door handle. A camera pops up and looks at Mihoshi. "Please state your business here Mihoshi," it speaks in a mechanical sounding voice.  
  
Kiyone raises an eyebrow at it. "Uh, we need to get to Yukinojo. Galaxy Police business."  
  
The camera turns away from Mihoshi to look at her partner. "Ah Kiyone, please enter. Little Washu is not here at the moment so I will guide you to your cruiser."  
  
The camera disappears and the door opens. "Uh, thanks," Kiyone says before going in with Mihoshi. A few minutes later, the usual roar of engines is heard as Yukinojo leaves earth.  
  
Ryoko takes one last look at the door to Washu's lab. "Have any of you noticed that Mihoshi has been acting kind of strange lately?"  
  
"Yeah," Ayeka starts, "she has been a little less clumsy and bubbleheaded. Perhaps it is because of Kiyone."  
  
"Could be," Tenchi shrugs as he continues to eat.  
  
For a few minutes, the group eats in silence. Sasami suddenly looks up. "Hey, where's Washu? That computer thing said that she isn't in her lab."  
  
Ryo-Ohki looks up at all of them. "Yosho," she says with a grin.  
  
"Grandpa?" Tenchi asks, "What does he have to..." he suddenly trails off as his eyes go wide. "You don't mean that those two are...?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki's grin widens as Ryoko and Sasami start to giggle. Ayeka shook her head lightly. "Oh dear. I have had a feeling that something was going on between the two of them for some time now."  
  
Ryoko looked over to Ayeka, surprised. "Really? How could you tell?"  
  
"Body language," answered the princess in an offhand sort of way, "the two of them were always close friends, but when Brother Yosho revealed his true form, I noticed a change between the two of them. Little Washu had a little gleam in here eyes whenever she looked at him, and he would tense up slightly whenever she was nearby. It is somewhat childish, but cute nonetheless."  
  
"Wow Ayeka," Tenchi started while once again scratching the back of his head, "you really pay attention to people!"  
  
"Oh, that is something that I have always done Lord Tenchi," Ayeka says to him, now getting a small gleam in her eyes while looking at him. Giant sweat beads form on everyone else's heads, while Ryoko covers her mouth to keep herself from bursting out laughing.  
  
______  
  
"Halt! This is the Galaxy Police and you are now entering a restricted area! Please turn your vessel around and leave here immediately!" Kiyone shouted to the ship, which just crossed into their area of patrol.  
  
Suddenly the ship stops and a command code flashes across their screen. Kiyone's eyes bulge as she reads the code. "Kiyone," Mihoshi starts, "what should we do now?"  
  
Kiyone looks at her partner and begins to calm down. 'You know what you have to do,' she thinks to herself. "Mihoshi, could you try to get a readout of that vessel?"  
  
"Okay!" she says brightly. Mihoshi leans in slightly to start her readout, when a blunt object hits her in the back of her head, knocking her out.  
  
"I'm sorry Mihoshi," Kiyone starts while standing over her prone partner, "but this is something that you can't be a part of." She then looks back up. "Yukinojo?"  
  
The main intelligence unit comes out from above. "Yes Miss Kiyone?"  
  
"Yukinojo, please shut down for a while but keep communications open, I have some private business that I need to attend to."  
  
"I do not understand your request Miss Kiyone. That order is not valid with my functions or Galaxy Police regulations."  
  
Kiyone puts her hands together and looks pleadingly at the intelligence unit. "Please Yukinojo? This is really important to me."  
  
Yukinojo thinks for a second and sighs lightly. "Well I guess I could shut down my functions for a while." A red button starts to flash on her control panel. "Please push this button when you are finished with your affairs to restore my power." He suddenly notices Mihoshi lying on the floor. "What has happened to Miss Mihoshi?"  
  
"Huh? Oh she is taking another nap. And thank you so much Yukinojo."  
  
"You are welcome Miss Kiyone. Shutting down now." There was a brief humming noise of equipment powering down and then silence.  
  
Kiyone sighs with relief. "Okay," she starts into the communicator, "my partner has been subdued and our cruiser has just been shut down. What is it that you want?"  
  
"Her Ladyship sends a message," replies a raspy voice, "she wishes to speak to you personally."  
  
Kiyone tenses up. "She wants to speak to me? O.okay."  
  
The other vessel turns around and starts to fly away as a large portal appears in front of Yukinojo, pulling it in.  
  
______  
  
Yosho just walked out of his shrine office. He was drinking some tea when he spotted Tenchi just making it to the top of the stairs. "Good morning Tenchi."  
  
"Morning Grandpa. I'm here to start training."  
  
Yosho narrowed his eyes at his grandson. "You are here quite early."  
  
The prince began to scratch the back of his head again. "Yeah, well I really want to be able to have full control over my Lighthawk Wings."  
  
The priest smiled at his grandson. "Alright Tenchi. Just give me a few minutes to finish my tea and we will start the training."  
  
"Okay grandpa. That should give Ayeka some time to make it up here. She wants to see me activate my Wings."  
  
Yosho nodded and went back into his office. 'Hmm, Ayeka is being a little more direct than usual,' he thought to himself, 'she possibly could feel threatened by Tenchi's growing affection for Ryoko. I just hope that he heeds my advice.'   
  
______  
  
Kiyone opened her eyes to find herself in the temple of her master. She stood up and began to look around, only to quickly go down to one knee and bow to her master. A figure of a beautiful woman with blue and purple eyes and green marks on the sides of her face appears towering over Kiyone. "Lieutenant Makibi," started Tokimi's sweet voice, "I have summoned you here ask you something."  
  
"Yes my Lady," the detective began, "I live to serve you. Please ask away."  
  
The goddess smiled lightly as she looked down at the officer. "When I found you, you were nearly dead. You were stuck out in the middle of nowhere for so long that you were beginning to give up hope that you would be rescued. Because of me, you now live and have progressed through the ranks in the Galaxy Police."  
  
"And I am forever grateful to you for your kindness and compassion to me. I will be your humble servant until the end of my days."  
  
"Yes. Now tell me, what do you think of the boy?"  
  
Kiyone looked up slightly. "Tenchi?"  
  
Tokimi smiled and nodded. "Yes. The grandson of Yosho and Tsunami's Knight."  
  
"Well I think he is really nice my Lady. He lets me stay in his house and live with his family without complaint. He is a very kind and generous person. I respect him greatly."  
  
The goddess gave her servant an awkward smile. "There is more to that Lieutenant. I can feel it. You cannot hide your feelings from a goddess. Please stand up and face me."  
  
Kiyone slowly did as she was told. There was a slight note of fear in her eyes.  
  
"You have no need to fear me child. I only wish for you to look at me when you tell me of your feelings for the boy."  
  
The GP officer scratched the back of her head lightly. "Well." she began, "when I first saw him, I thought that he was kind of cute and I noticed that he acted all awkward around me and blushed if I looked at him warmly." She was now beginning to blush herself. "I don't know what it is about him, but I am very attracted to him, and I think that he is attracted to me also."  
  
Tokimi was now smiling warmly at her. "And because of your help, he was able to activate his Lighthawk Wings, though he still needs to work on the two he has not completely activated as of yet." She suddenly disappears and reappears in front of Kiyone in her natural height. Kiyone instantly went back down to one knee and bowed again. "Yes, you have proven yourself much more useful than I had originally planned. I want you to get closer to the boy. Help him to achieve his goal. The daughter of Washu and the first crown princess of Jurai will give you some competition, but I have faith in you my loyal servant. Now go back to your new home and keep an eye on the boy."  
  
Kiyone stands up. "Yes my Lady." Tokimi creates a portal next to her and Kiyone walks through it.  
  
______  
  
Tenchi's eyes shoot open and three glowing triangles appear on his forehead. Three Lighthawk Wings appear in front of him. Tenchi instantly notices that they seem to be upside down from the way they usually appear. Tenchi's eyes go wide as the two other Wings start to appear on each side of the top one, making a star formation.  
  
Ayeka gasps as she watches the entire event unfold in front of her eyes. She leans next to her brother and whispers, "Do you think that he can make more than five Wings Brother?" into his ear.  
  
"I do not know Ayeka," he whispers back, "I never even knew that he could make more than three until yesterday."  
  
The both of them revert their attention back to Tenchi, who is now closing his eyes and concentrating hard on the two extra wings. Sweat is pouring off of his forehead, this is taking a lot out of him, but it is easier than it was the day before. He opens his eyes again to see the two Wings are now glowing brighter, but aren't fully complete. Suddenly, he feels the power drain from him and the Wings disappear. Tenchi falls to his knees and starts to wipe the sweat off of his face.  
  
Yosho and Ayeka are quick to his side. "Excellent Tenchi," Yosho proclaims, "another session or two like this one and I am sure that you will be able to activate all five Wings!"  
  
Ayeka wraps her arms around Tenchi. "Oh Lord Tenchi, you were wonderful!" She then leans in and kisses him on the cheek, causing him to blush lightly.  
  
Yosho chuckles lightly. "Tenchi, when you are done cooling down, I want you to sweep the shrine steps. That will be all for today."  
  
"Thanks Grandpa."  
  
Ayeka backs away from Tenchi. "Lord Tenchi, would it be alright if I could help you with your shrine duties?"  
  
"Huh? Oh sure Ayeka! Thanks!"  
  
The princess smiled warmly at him. 'All right,' she thinks to herself, 'I need to tell him how I feel for him, and I will not hold back!'  
  
______  
  
"Mihoshi. Hey Mihoshi, wake up!"  
  
Mihoshi slowly opened her eyes to see Kiyone standing over her. She moaned lightly as she rubbed the back of her head. "Kiyone, what happened?"  
  
"I don't know Mihoshi. You were about to get a readout of the vessel when you passed out. I've been spending the last hour trying to get you up."  
  
"What happened to the other vessel?" the blonde asked while sitting up.  
  
"Well shortly after you passed out, they just turned around and left." Kiyone shrugged her shoulders lightly, "I guess they didn't want to mess with the Galaxy Police."  
  
Mihoshi stood up and rubbed the back of her head tenderly. "Ouch, I must have hit my head when I passed out." She shrugged, "Oh well! Let's go home, I'm starving!"  
  
"Alright Mihoshi." Kiyone sat back in her chair and looked up. "Yukinojo?"  
  
The main intelligence unit came from his resting spot. "Yes Miss Kiyone?"  
  
"Our patrol is done. Please set us on a course back home."  
  
"Yes Ma'am!"  
  
Kiyone leaned back in her chair, deep in thought. 'My Lady wants me to get closer to Tenchi,' she thinks to herself. A small smile escapes her lips. 'Maybe that means I should get closer to him physically and intimately. Hey, I wouldn't mind, I really do like him.' She sat back up in her chair, now looking determined. 'Watch out Tenchi Masaki, cause I'm gonna make you mine!'  
  
To be continued...  
  
______  
  
Author's notes: This episode has hopefully answered some questions as to why Kiyone is a servant of Tokimi. Soon you will see some more action as a new foe appears.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: The Choices we Make 


	10. The Choices we Make

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part Two.  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 10:  
  
The Choices we Make  
  
Tenchi Masaki sits down in the floating onsen, trying very hard to relax. The events he had gone through earlier with Ayeka stir through his mind.  
  
Earlier that day: shortly after he and Ayeka had finished sweeping the shrine steps, Ayeka confronted him. "Lord Tenchi," she began in a nervous but determined voice, "we need to talk."  
  
The prince looked at her, getting very nervous. "Um sure Ayeka. What is it?"  
  
"A short while ago, you were...well, warming up to myself and Ryoko. In the short time that you were becoming more open with your emotions and feelings, I had felt happier than I had in a very long time."  
  
She stopped to sniff lightly. Tenchi tensed up the entire time she was talking to him. He knew where this was going, but he still wanted to respect his grandfather's wishes to not tell any of the girls how he felt until the time was right. 'Whatever that means,' Tenchi thinks with a frown.  
  
Ayeka regains herself and continues, "That demon and I were actually becoming friends. As I am sure you had noticed, we had barely fought with each other. We were in a sort of compromise where we could both be around you and be happy. But then, just when you seem to be ready to tell us of your feelings for us, you calm down." She stops to sniff again. "And now you are spending more time with her while you are spending less and less time with me." Tears were now pouring from her eyes as she grasps her hands together.  
  
As she is doing this, Tenchi is feeling his heart tear apart. He wants more than anything to tell her how he feels for her, but he still isn't entirely sure how he completely feels.  
  
"Please tell me Lord Tenchi! Is it me? Have I done or said anything to anger or upset you? Please...why?" She starts to lean forward and collapse on the ground, but a strong pair of arms stops her and pulls her into a strong embrace.  
  
"Ayeka," Tenchi starts, "you have done nothing of the sort. I've just...well...I don't know what I've been going through myself." He takes a deep breath and pats her on the head lightly. She stopped crying, but is still in Tenchi's arms. "I wish that you would have told me about this earlier. Ryoko...well you know how she is, very upfront and physical."  
  
The princess felt him tense up as he said the last part, which caused her to giggle lightly. She pulls away from him and looks deep into his eyes. "Lord Tenchi, I am very sorry for the way I have been acting, all jealous and foolish. I was just confused as to everything that has been happening around here as of late."  
  
Tenchi smiles warmly at her. "Please just give me some more time to sort everything out Ayeka. I promise that soon I will set everything straight." She smiles back and he then gives her a small kiss on the lips. He pulls away after a couple of seconds.  
  
Ayeka blushes lightly at his actions. "Come now Lord Tenchi, let us go home."  
  
Back to the present: Tenchi gets up, feeling that the bath isn't helping him come to any conclusions. He changes into his clothes and is about to go out, when Kiyone comes running in. "Oh hi Kiyone!" Tenchi says brightly to the GP officer, "How was patrol?"  
  
Kiyone starts to slowly walk up to Tenchi with a lustful look in her eyes. "It was...enlightening." Before Tenchi could respond, she grabs him and begins to kiss him passionately.  
  
At first, Tenchi is too shocked to respond. 'Man, she is a great kisser!' he thinks with an inward smile. He then realizes what is happening and pulls away from the kiss. "Kiyone wait. I...I can't do this."  
  
The lustful smile on her face begins to diminish. "Tenchi, what's wrong? Don't you like me?" She now looks concerned and somewhat fearful.  
  
"It's not that Kiyone. I do like you," he stops for a moment as she tries to kiss him again, and he stops her. "But I don't know if..." the prince stops as a look of dawning appears on his face. Finally, he begins to understand what his grandfather had meant. He now understands the decision that he wants to make. It was right in front of him, but he never thought of it.  
  
Tenchi stared off into space for the next several minutes as Kiyone watches him in confusion. "Uh Tenchi? Hello? What were you about to say? Hello?"  
  
After a few minutes, Tenchi finally snapped out of his 'trance.' "Huh? Oh Kiyone! Sorry about that! I was just thinking about something." He then starts to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Kiyone shouts to him with a note of desperation in her voice. The prince stops and turns around. "Tenchi, you...you never gave me a whole answer."  
  
Tenchi smiles warmly at her as he walks up to her and gives her a quick hug. "Right now I can't give you a straight answer. Just give me a little while and I will be able to tell you and everyone who I really care about and love. I hope that you understand."  
  
Kiyone looks into his eyes, tears forming in her own. "I...I understand Tenchi."  
  
He gives her another quick smile before he leaves. Kiyone sighs deeply, " I only hope that my Lady will as well."  
  
______  
  
"Well Lady Tokimi, it appears that Lieutenant Makibi has failed you. The boy has rejected her"  
  
The goddess smiles lightly at her servant. "No she has not failed me D3. In fact, everything is going according to plan."  
  
If the demi-god could show emotions such as confusion, then he most certainly would be. "What do you mean my Lady?"  
  
"Just wait my faithful servant. Soon all events will unfold and my master plan will be revealed."  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile in the Masaki household, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki are teaching Ryoko to cook. Unlike Ayeka though, Ryoko has a better sense of taste and listens to the girls' instructions. She had actually made several small dishes that tasted quite well. Sasami just took a taste of Ryoko's latest dish. "Mmm! This is really good Ryoko! You're really catching on!"  
  
The pirate's eyes lit up. "Really?" Both the little princess and the teen cabbit nodded. Ryoko jumped up and cheered, "Oh, this is great! Tenchi's gonna love this!"  
  
The two younger girls began to giggle at Ryoko as Ayeka walks in. "What is so funny?"  
  
Ryo-Ohki points over to the pirate. "Ryoko."  
  
Ayeka shakes her head and walks back into the living room, muttering, "I swear, that woman gets stranger every day!"  
  
______  
  
Tenchi is walking back to his home, a belated feeling coursing through his body. He is just about to reach the front door when, "Tenchi!"  
  
The prince stopped and turned around to see his grandfather standing at the foot of the stairs to the shrine. "Grandpa," he starts with a smile, "what is it?"  
  
"Tenchi, I know that you have finally come up with a decision concerning the girls, and the right one as well."  
  
Tenchi looked completely shocked. "B...but grandpa, how...how did you know?"  
  
Yosho chuckled at his sputtering grandson. "Let's just say that I have a certain gift of knowing these things. I know that you want to go and tell the girls, but I want you to wait just one more day before you tell them."  
  
"But why grandpa?"  
  
"Just call it a feeling. You may now go inside Tenchi, but remember what I said."  
  
"Okay grandpa," Tenchi replies sulkily while scratching the back of his head. 'I swear,' he thinks to himself, 'this is gonna drive me crazy. I am so glad that it will be over soon.'  
  
______  
  
Yosho, who was walking back up to his shrine, frowned. "Unfortunately Tenchi, this is just the beginning." He stops his ascent to the shrine when the familiar sight of a portal appears in front of him. He smiles as Washu walks out of the portal. "Hello there Washu."  
  
She folds her arms and looks at him crossly. "Hello yourself. Where'd you go to? I come out of the bathroom and you're nowhere to be found."  
  
"I am sorry for leaving you Washu, but I had to tell my grandson something."  
  
The genius looked offended. "Was it more important than me?"  
  
The Shinto priest sighed and looked down. "Unfortunately it was. But!" he added as Washu was looking daggers at him, "but it was of the utmost importance that he receive the message immediately."  
  
Washu was now looking at him playfully and spoke to him in her old curious manner, "What's the message? If it was more important than me," she stopped to wink at him, "then this genius must know what it is!"  
  
Yosho chuckled up at his lover. "I am sorry Washu, but I cannot tell you as of yet. I am sure that Tenchi will surprise us all at dinner tomorrow with a response to my message."  
  
"Fine," she huffed at him, "be that way." Her holo computer appeared in front of her. She typed on it for a couple of seconds and then another portal appeared behind her. As she backed up into it, she told him, "But I know a certain shrine priest that isn't going to get any later tonight!" with a devious smile.  
  
Yosho began to call out, "Washu wait!" But it was too late. He began to scratch the back of his head. "I am only carrying out the wishes of my spaceship tree Funaho."  
  
______  
  
"Too true Yosho," Tokimi replies. "But it is not the wishes of your spaceship tree that guide you, but myself."  
  
"And what of your sister?" asks D3, "how is it that she does not sense your presence willing her trees?"  
  
"She can do nothing at the moment D3. Until she is fully assimilated with her avatar, her powers are greatly diminished so she must sit and wait."  
  
______  
  
A few hours later at the Masaki residence, everyone is happily eating the dinner that Ryoko helped to make, well except for a very tense and worried Tenchi. He tries to keep a normal face, but the realization that soon he will be revealing to everyone the one that he truly loves is keeping him from thinking of anything but that.  
  
Yosho is the only one who really notices, but it is because he is the one who put those thoughts into his grandson's head. 'I just hope that everything will go along nicely tomorrow,' he thinks while sipping his tea.  
  
Ryoko and Ayeka were having a playful argument over Ryoko's cooking. Normally both would be having a more intense argument that would lead to a fight, but both women are in very good moods, Ryoko because everyone is enjoying her cooking, and Ayeka because of her little chat earlier with Tenchi.  
  
"Oh come off of it princess," Ryoko starts while waving her hand towards the princess, "you just don't want to admit that you actually like my cooking!"  
  
"Oh please," Ayeka retorted with a playful smile, "I am a beautiful and regal princess. How could I enjoy the 'demon food' that you make?"  
  
Mihoshi looked up from her engorging. "Ooh I like Devil's Food cakes! They are so tasty and low fat!"  
  
Everyone around the table besides Mihoshi fell over onto the floor. They all began to laugh when they got back up. Mihoshi, on the other hand, looked confused. "What's so funny?"  
  
This just caused everyone to laugh even harder. Even Tenchi was able to forget his worries and join in the laughter. He takes a bite of his food, and is still quite surprised at how good it tastes. Just a few months ago if he had tasted any cooking from either Ryoko or Ayeka, he probably would be on a one-way trip to the hospital! "So Ryoko," he starts, "you really made all of this?"  
  
Ryoko suddenly goes quiet and nods, blushing lightly. Sasami decides to talk for her. "Yeah she did Tenchi. "Ryo-Ohki and I just sat back and gave her directions. She did a very good job!"  
  
The prince beamed at her. "That's great!" He then turns back to Ryoko. "Ryoko, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that you did a wonderful job with dinner tonight!"  
  
"Yeah!" everyone, including Ayeka, chimed in.  
  
This caused Ryoko to go even redder as she mutters a quiet, "Thanks guys."  
  
"So Mihoshi and Kiyone," Tenchi starts to help save Ryoko from any further embarrassment, "what happened on your patrol earlier?"  
  
Kiyone was about to speak, but her partner interrupted her. "Well we went out to find a vessel that was going near this area, which is restricted. Then we found them and ordered them to stop, which they did. Then...um...oh yeah! Some sort of code popped up on our screens!"  
  
"A code?" asks Washu, " what was it?"  
  
"Uh we're not to sure," replies Kiyone, "just as soon as it appeared, it vanished. I asked Mihoshi to try to get a readout of the vessel, then..."  
  
"...Then, well I don't know. I guess I fell over or something because the next time I opened my eyes, I was lying on the floor and Kiyone was over me trying to wake me up."  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked up from her plate for a moment. "What? You fell over?"  
  
Kiyone sighed deeply. "I'm not too sure what happened. I was about to try to find that code that popped up when I hear a loud thud next to me. I look over to see Mihoshi lying on the floor. I spent the rest of my time trying to wake her up."  
  
"That is quite odd," starts Ayeka, "but what happened to that other vessel that you stopped?"  
  
Kiyone shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno. They just turned around and left a little while after Mihoshi went down. I wish that they didn't, I wanted to find out who they were and what they were doing here."  
  
"Well, at least the two of you weren't harmed in any way," says Yosho after another sip of tea.  
  
"Well I did get a little bump on the back of my head, but it doesn't bother me, I'm just glad to be home!"  
  
"Yeah, let's eat!" chimes in Sasami. The group is son back happily eating dinner. Ayeka makes a couple of snide remarks about the cooking, and getting a playful shove from Ryoko in return. It appears that the two of them are beginning to become friends again.  
  
______  
  
After dinner was over and the table was cleaned up, everyone went to do their own thing. Yosho went back up to the shrine while Washu stayed in the house. It appears that she is still a little upset at him for not telling her the message he had for Tenchi earlier.  
  
While Sasami and Ryo-Ohki were in the kitchen washing dishes, everyone else was in the living room watching television. Because of Washu, their T.V. now gets over a thousand channels, including the intergalactic news, which is useful incase anything bad were to happen in space that they would want to know. Currently, though, they were watching an American wrestling show. Tenchi and Ryoko enjoy the violence, while the rest of the women enjoy the muscular men walking around in tight-fitting outfits.  
  
"I like the American wrestling better than the stuff we have here," Tenchi comments as a wrestler gets hit over the head, 'busting him wide open.' "It is much less violent and half of the times, the blood you see is fake. And they use props that make it looks like it hurts more than it actually does."  
  
"I like the Champ," chimes in a voice behind them, "he may be the bad guy, but I think that he's cute!"  
  
Everyone turns around to see Sasami and Ryo-Ohki standing behind the couch. "Sasami!" huffs Ayeka, "You shouldn't be watching such a violent sport!"  
  
Ryoko teleports next to Sasami and puts her arm around her shoulder. "Oh come off of it Ayeka," she starts, "Sasami's a big girl and it's 'sports entertainment' like Tenchi said. Besides, weren't you just commenting earlier how you thought the champ was cute too?"  
  
The princess scrunched up her face. "Oh alright! She can watch the program with us!"  
  
Both Sasami and Ryoko cheered, "Yay!"  
  
______  
  
A little over an hour later, the program was over and everybody was getting ready for bed. Tenchi was the first to wish everyone a good night's sleep and go up to his room. "Man, what a day!" he says out loud to himself as he changes into his green t-shirt and black sweatpants. "But tomorrow is when the real fireworks begin!"  
  
______  
  
"Oh you have no idea young Masaki," Tokimi says from her usual spot in her temple. She waves her hand and a shadowy figure appears. In front of it glows five Lighthawk Wings. The goddess waves her hand again and the figure appears. It is Tenchi Masaki, but he looks different, older. His hair is longer and spiky, and his face is more mature. He is wearing different clothes; they are bright white and gold, making him look magnificent. The only thing that isn't different about him is his eyes, which still hold their warmth and compassion.  
  
Tokimi reaches out and caresses the side of the image's face lovingly while smiling at it. "Tenchi Masaki, one day you will become a great leader. With the power to rule a universe and the kindness and compassion to bring peace and prosperity, you will rule and the people will love you and respect you for it." Her face suddenly shows sadness. "A great war looms ahead which you must fight. You will loose someone you care deeply for, but it is with that that you realize your true destiny as a leader of the people, a ruler over a kingdom, and, most important of all, a husband and father." She stops for a moment and sighs lightly. "The time has come. D3."  
  
The demi-god appears before her. "Yes Lady Tokimi?"  
  
"You will watch over this dimension for a short while. Alert me if anything has happened. Tsunami's Knight is about to get another houseguest, namely myself."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
To be continued...   
  
______  
  
Author's notes: I finally decided to bring in that shadowy five Lighthawk Winged person from the Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part two. You weren't expecting it to be who it was, were you? More will be explained as Tokimi comes to the Masaki residence!  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next Episode: Hello Tokimi! 


	11. Hello Tokimi!

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
______  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2002 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part Two.  
  
______  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 11:  
  
Hello Tokimi!  
  
______  
  
Tenchi's eyes slowly open as he begins to wake up. For some reason, his head is throbbing like when Ryoko forces him to drink, but he knows that he hasn't had anything to drink in a long time. He also realizes that someone is lying on top of him. He looks down, expecting to see a mass of spiky cyan hair, but he is completely shocked to see straight light brown hair. He also realizes that his arms are wrapped around the mystery woman and they both are naked.  
  
As Tenchi's shock and fear rises, so does his breathing. Soon the quickness of the rising of his chest wakes up the woman on top of him. She slowly raises her head to Tenchi. The first thing that he notices, besides the fact that she is astonishingly beautiful and the green marks on the sides of her face, are her eyes, which are an amazing mixture of blue and purple. She gives him a lustful smile. "Good morning Tenchi Masaki."  
  
A million questions were racing through the prince's mind. The one he manages to get out is the most basic. "Who are you?"  
  
The woman smiles at him again. "Yes I have not introduced myself. That is quite rude, considering what we did last night," she added while purring into his ear.  
  
Tenchi went a deep shade of red. 'Oh no!' he thinks to himself, 'what happened? Why can't I remember?'  
  
She chuckles lightly at him. "You cannot remember because I put a memory block on you. I believe that that is what is giving you your headache."  
  
"Huh?" starts the young man, "How'd you know what I was thinking?"  
  
"I have many powers young Masaki." She then moves up and sits on his stomach, causing him to go even redder as her body is now completely visible. He reaches up behind him and quickly grabs some tissue by his bed and stuffs them in his nose before the flow of blood could escape it.  
  
"P.please cover yourself up!" he managed to sputter out.  
  
"I think not. Though you will not admit it, you like what you see." She leaned close to him and whispered, "You like it very much," in his ear.  
  
Tenchi was about to respond when Ryoko suddenly teleports into his room. "Good morn..." she stops mid-sentence at the sight in front of her. She gets a look of shock on her face, only to have it quickly replaced by a look of pure hatred. "HEY! WHAT TH..." she suddenly stops shouting and looks as if she is in a trance.  
  
Tenchi looks over at Ryoko confused, when the woman on top of him begins to speak, "Ryoko, you will forget what you just saw and go back to your room and sleep. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes my Lady," she replies in a monotone voice. Ryoko then teleports out of his room.  
  
Tenchi looks up at the woman, completely astonished. "How did you do that?"  
  
"When I focus my powers, I have the ability to control others, but only for a short time. Especially in this mortal form?"  
  
"Mortal form?"  
  
She leans forward until she is just inches from his face. "I will explain everything to you soon, but for now I must leave...but I will return." She disappears, but then reappears a few moments later. "I almost forgot! My name is Tokimi. By the way, for one of such little experience, you were quite well last night."  
  
Tenchi blushed furiously again as the mysterious woman named Tokimi vanishes. He sits up and scratches the back of his head. "Why does all of the strange stuff happen to me?" he says out loud to himself.  
  
______  
  
Ryoko shakes her head. "Oh, what just happened?" She looks around to see that she is in her room, lying down on her bed. She stands up, only to collapse on the floor, grasping her head tightly. "Ouch, my head! Why does it hurt so much?"  
  
After a couple of minutes, the pirate's head stopped throbbing. She slowly gets to her feet. "Alright, that's better! Now to go see Tenchi!" she begins as she teleports down into his room.  
  
"Ryoko! I'm changing!"  
  
"Oops! Sorry!"  
  
______  
  
The rest of the morning went along nicely. Everyone enjoyed a nice quiet breakfast. Afterwards, Tenchi went out to man the vegetable fields. Ryo- Ohki went out to help him as she usually does. Ryoko and Ayeka went into the living room to watch the soap operas. Mihoshi and Kiyone went out for their daily patrol of the system. Sasami, as usual, happily worked in the kitchen, cleaning and thinking of what she is going to make later for dinner. Tenchi had told her shortly before breakfast that he had a special announcement to make so the little princess wanted to make a special dinner. 'Hmm,' she mischievously thinks to herself, 'I wonder what he's gonna say. Maybe it's something about Ayeka!'  
  
______  
  
"Thanks for helping me Ryo-Ohki," Tenchi says to the human cabbit while wiping his brow.  
  
The teen looks up at Tenchi and smiles. "No problem Tenchi, I like helping you!"  
  
The young prince takes a look around the fields. "Wow, we're already done!" He reaches out towards Ryo-Ohki. "Come on Ryo-Ohki, let's go home."  
  
She blushes lightly as she reaches out and takes his hand. The two of them are soon on their way back home.  
  
______  
  
Later into the evening, the entire gang is currently in the middle of a spectacular meal made by Sasami. Every few minutes, someone from around the table gives the little princess a compliment on her spectacular meal. After a few moments, Tenchi stood up, getting everyone's attention. "Alright everybody, I have an announcement to make."  
  
Ryoko, Ayeka and Kiyone all tensed up, knowing what the announcement was about. Everyone else was watching Tenchi with rapt attention.  
  
"For a while now, I've been struggling with my own emotions, trying very hard to figure out what my heart wants," he stops for a moment to catch his breath. "I do love all of you very much, but I have been trying to figure out whom I love the most."  
  
The three girls were now looking nervous. Tenchi looks to Ryoko first. "Ryoko, you were the first of this crazy group that I met. When I was younger, I was always interested in the cave. I felt drawn to it somehow. When I released you I was afraid because you looked like a mummy, then you came to me at school and looked like you do now and you attacked me, blowing up half of my school."  
  
Ryoko grinned rather guiltily at this. She was glad that he went to her first, the anticipation, a rather new emotion she is trying to deal with, is driving her crazy.  
  
"But then I realized that you weren't going to harm me, you were just letting off a little steam. Soon I found out that under your rock hard exterior, you are a very kind and gentle person. You are a very fun and carefree person and this house would be a very boring place without you."  
  
By now, silent tears were streaming down the pirate's face. Tenchi smiled warmly at her and wiped away the tears on her face. Ayeka and Kiyone huff lightly.  
  
Tenchi then turned to Ayeka. "Ayeka, when I first met you, you were, well a royal pain." Ayeka looked crossly at him as the rest of the people in the room had to cover their mouths to contain the laughter. The prince continued, "At first you were bossy, impatient and seemingly uncaring of other people's feelings." Ayeka was about to interrupt, but Tenchi held up a hand to stop her. "But when we had spent some time together in the shed to stay out of the rain, I discovered the kind and caring woman that you are today. Living with us here has helped you to understand to be tolerable and the meaning of friendship. You bring to this house a grace and beauty that no other could match."  
  
Like Ryoko, tears were running down Ayeka's face. Tenchi quickly wiped them away. He finally turned to Kiyone. The GP officer looked extremely nervous at this point.  
  
"Kiyone, although you have only been here for a short while, you have made quite an impact in my life. I felt an instant attraction between us. In they few times that we have been able to speak with each other, I have tried to get to know you better. It is because of your help that I was able to start to gain control of my Lighthawk Wings. By willingly becoming Mihoshi's partner again, you show a bravery that very few in this household could ever muster."  
  
That last comment sent a ripple of laughter around the table. Mihoshi, though, looked confused. "What do you mean Tenchi?"  
  
Everyone else began to laugh loudly at the blonde's comment. Soon, everyone was quiet again and looking expectantly at Tenchi. He began to speak again, "It has taken me a lot of thinking and soul searching and heartache, but I have finally come with a decision concerning who it is between the three of these women that I care for and love the most. The one that I love the most is..."  
  
"Stop!" demands a commanding voice from nowhere.  
  
Everyone looks around, trying to see who it was that spoke. Suddenly, a beautiful woman in a billowing dress appears next to Tenchi. His and Kiyone's eyes go wide as they recognize the woman. She smiles at the group of people before her. "I am sorry to interrupt, but I also have an important announcement to make." She then turns to Sasami. "Now please come out and join us sister."  
  
The two triangle runes on Sasami's forehead begin to glow as the goddess Tsunami appears behind her. "It is good to see you again after such a long time sister. May I ask what brings the goddess of Justice to this humble little home?"  
  
"I will explain everything shortly. But first we need to bring back the third member of our little party." Tokimi looks over to Washu. "Washu, may you walk forward?"  
  
The genius curiously steps up. Tokimi and Tsunami nod at each other and Washu is suddenly engulfed in a brilliant white light. Yosho steps forward to intervene, but Ayeka and Kiyone quickly stop him. "No Brother, do not stop them. Tsunami would never harm her. I believe that this is something that they have to do."  
  
Yosho reluctantly stood down. A couple of seconds later, the light surrounding the genius dissipated. She held her head for a moment, then turned to Tsunami and Tokimi, smiling. "It's really good to see the two of you again sisters."  
  
"Huh?" was the response from everyone else.  
  
Washu turned back to her family. "Well I guess an explanation is due." She sits back down at her spot at the table. "A very long time ago, there were three sister goddesses who watched over and ruled this dimension, Tsunami, Tokimi and myself. For a while we ruled over everything peacefully, but my and Tsunami's interest in the mortals consumed us. We soon wanted to be among them and intervene with their lives. We both took different approaches towards this: Tsunami, the goddess of Light, put her being into Jurai's Tree of Beginnings, thus giving Jurai it's power and making it the empire that it is today, while I, the goddess of Wisdom, gave up my status of a goddess to live among the people. I placed all of my powers as a goddess into three gems."  
  
"Wait a minute!" Ryoko shouts while standing up. "My gems?"  
  
Washu smiles warmly at her daughter. "Yes my little Ryoko. When I awoke as a mortal, I had no memories of my previous live. I was somehow enlisted in the Science Academy and the only things I had on me were those three gems. After studying them I realized that they contained great power. After you were born, I gave them to you. My daughter deserved to be strong and powerful." She gives Ryoko a warm smile.  
  
Tokimi clears her throat loudly. "Now that we've been reacquainted and informed, I still have an important announcement to make."  
  
Washu looks over to her sister and frowns lightly. "Hey I just remembered something. You had that bastard Clay try to capture me. Why?"  
  
"Well," the goddess starts, "I had wanted to speak to you, but you have always been a very stubborn person." She stopped to smile at Washu, who huffed at her. "Not too many people, even most of my most loyal servants were willing to try to get you to come to me. You have a reputation of being extremely smart and crafty. Anyways, Clay was the perfect servant to send to retrieve you mainly because of his jealousy and hatred of you."  
  
"That's not all Tokimi. I knew that old octopus head better than he knew himself. He wouldn't do such a difficult task unless he could get something really good in return. So what did you promise him?"  
  
Tokimi couldn't help but to smile. "I see that nothing gets past you."  
  
"Hey, I'm not the Goddess of Wisdom for nothing!"  
  
The goddess of Justice sighs. "I promised him a galaxy, okay? And now to my announcement. Out of the three of us, I am the one who has not yet chosen a champion."  
  
"Champion?" cuts in Mihoshi, "What is that?"  
  
"It is destined that we three goddesses each choose one champion," Tsunami begins. "The champion would be bestowed with a portion of our powers and would be our protectors. They would communicate with us and do our bidding."  
  
Kiyone now stands up. "Okay, so now we understand what a champion is, but who are your champions?"  
  
"As I am sure that most of you have already guessed, Tenchi is my champion." Tsunami smiles warmly at the prince, who returns it.  
  
Ryoko turns to Washu. "Hey Mom, who's your champion then?"  
  
"You've just answered your own question now my little Ryoko," Washu coos to her daughter.  
  
"W...what?" Ryoko's eyes go wide in shock. "Me?"  
  
The former goddess of Wisdom looks at her daughter in amusement. "Well yeah. I thought you would've realized earlier when I told you that I put my goddess powers into your three gems."  
  
The pirate sits back down, a look of complete shock on her face. Yosho looks between the two of them and chuckles thoughtfully. "I guess that explains how Ryoko was able to get past Jurai's defenses. Since Tsunami and Washu are sisters, their powers are similar."  
  
The genius walks up to her lover and embraces him. She then tweaks his nose playfully. "It took you this long to figure that out?"  
  
"Hey Miss Tokimi," Sasami now starts, the triangle runes on her forehead still glowing brightly, "who is your champion? Washu and Tsunami already have theirs."  
  
The goddess of Justice looks over to Sasami, then to the woman she will become, Tsunami. "I can already see a small resemblance between the two of you. Soon you two will become one, and I am anxious to see what is to happen then. Yes now to my champion. I have done much thinking on the subject. I have just recently made a sound decision. Since your champions," she now looks to Tenchi and Ryoko, "are very close to each other, I decided to have my champion be a person who is close to them as well. Therefore my champion is none other than...the Crown Princess of Jurai Ayeka."  
  
Everyone was in complete shock at Tokimi's words. Ayeka slowly stood up and spoke in a shaky voice, "Me?"  
  
"Yes Ayeka. I have chosen you as my champion. You have a strong and compassionate heart. You also have a power that has yet been untapped. Please take my hand."  
  
The princess slowly walks forward and takes Tokimi's hand. She is engulfed in a brilliant light, as Washu was earlier. Just as soon as it started, it ended. Ayeka looked the same, except for the three purple glowing stars in the shape of a triangle on her forehead. She looks at herself up and down. "I...I feel strange, like there is something different inside of me."  
  
"That would be your Lighthawk Wings," responds Tokimi.  
  
"You mean, that I can produce them too?"  
  
"Yes, and so can Ryoko once she receives her other two gems."  
  
Tenchi's eyebrows go up slightly. He reaches into his belt and pulls out the Tenchi-ken. He turns to Ryoko. "I should've given these back to you a long time ago, but with all of the excitement that has been happening around this house, I guess I've forgotten. Now please take back what is rightfully yours." He closes his eyes and begins to pray. The two gems imbedded in hilt of the sword and the one in Ryoko's left wrist begin to glow. The two in the sword vanish and reappear in Ryoko's right wrist and in the base of her neck. For a brief moment, three red circles in the shape of a triangle appear on her forehead.  
  
The pirate looks at her right wrist and then gently caresses her neck. She looks up at Tenchi with tears in her eyes. "Oh Tenchi, thank you!" She runs up to him and embraces in a fashion that would make Lady Misaki proud. She let's go after a couple of seconds and Tenchi rubs his sides gingerly.  
  
Tokimi steps forward. "So now all three of us have our champions. I must leave now, but I will come by occasionally to see my champion's progress in fully activating and controlling her Lighthawk Wings." And with that, she vanishes.  
  
Shortly after Tokimi leaves, Tsunami's image disappears and Sasami's forehead runes stop glowing. Tenchi looks around the table while scratching the back of his head. "Are we ever going to have a normal dinner around here?"  
  
Everyone starts to laugh. They all sit back down and begin to eat. Tenchi suddenly jumps out of his seat. "I almost forgot! My decision." He clears his throat before he begins again. "By being part Jurian, I am allowed to have the love of two women. And because of recent events, my original decision was not just out of love, but also destiny."  
  
He takes Ryoko and Ayeka's hand. "Ryoko, Ayeka, for the longest time you two have been trying to get me to decide which of you I love the most. I never could decide, and now I know why. The truth is that I love the two of you more than anything. The two of you own my heart, now and forever."  
  
Both women were now crying tears of joy. Everyone in the room is smiling except for Kiyone, who looks slightly sad and worried. 'Tenchi...doesn't love me?' she thinks while a stray tear runs down her cheek. 'I'm glad that my Lady isn't going to punish me for failing, but...' her mind trails off as she slowly goes up the stairs unnoticed. She runs into her and Mihoshi's room and collapses on the floor crying.  
  
Tenchi gets both Ryoko and Ayeka to stop crying and embraces the two of them lovingly. The princess and the pirate begin to cry again as the group around them smiles warmly.  
  
To be continued...  
  
______  
  
Author's notes: I've been tossing around this idea for a long time. I wasn't too sure if I had wanted Tokimi to be a good guy or a bad guy. I finally gave in to her being good, well sort of. I thought that the Ayeka idea was an interesting twist. I'm sorry if you don't wholly agree to the Ryoko/Tenchi/Ayeka pairing, but it was what I was steering towards since the beginning.  
  
I'm sorry out there for all of you Kiyone fans. I am also a big fan of hers, but I felt that her getting with Tenchi just wasn't right for this story. I might make a fic sometime in the future where they get together or something. Only time will tell.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Here Comes Jurai...Again! 


	12. Here Comes Jurai, Again!

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
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Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part Two.  
  
______  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 12:  
  
Here Comes Jurai...Again!  
  
______  
  
"Come on Ayeka," Tenchi encourages, "you can do it!"  
  
Ryoko, Tenchi and Ayeka are in the forest near the shrine, Tenchi is training the two women to summon their Lighthawk Wings. The crown princess struggles with her arms outstretched to summon her Wings, but to no avail. Over the last few days, she and Ryoko were able to successfully activate them, but today, Ayeka's mind is occupied and nobody is in any doubt why.  
  
Ayeka and Sasami received a message from their mother a few days ago that the Royal Family will be visiting again, they are expected to be in later this day.  
  
Ayeka is not disturbed by the thought of her parents visiting again, or the thought of revealing to them Tenchi's decision to be with both her and Ryoko, but the fact that the message said that her father will be bringing several suitors for Ayeka with them.  
  
The princess' arms slump to her side and she sags her head. "I can not concentrate," she replies dejectedly, "they will be here very shortly. I am unsure of what they will say or what Father will do."  
  
Ryoko walks up to her and rubs her shoulders in a comforting way. "Don't worry princess, whatever happens, we'll handle it. Right Tenchi?" she adds while turning to the prince.  
  
Tenchi nods his head vigorously. "Yeah! Don't worry Ayeka!"  
  
Ayeka sighs deeply and shakes her head. "I know, it is just that so much has happened to all of us so quickly. I am afraid to think of what will come to us in the future." Tears begin to pour from her eyes as she runs into Tenchi's warm embrace. "Oh Tenchi! I am so afraid of losing you! I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life, I do not want this to end!"  
  
"It's okay Ayeka," Tenchi responds in a warm, soothing voice, "just be the strong, incredible woman that you've always been and everything will come out good in the end."  
  
The princess backed off of Tenchi and wiped her eyes, regaining herself. "Yes, of course. I am sorry for acting so silly."  
  
Ryoko waves her apology aside. "Ah don't worry about it! Let's go back home and get washed up and everything before they get here."  
  
And with that, the trio makes their way out of the forest and down the shrine steps to their home.  
  
______  
  
The shrine door slides open and Yosho and Washu walk out, looking towards the shrine steps. "I am very impressed with Tenchi," the shrine priest starts. "He has made his decision, the right one might I add, and he is holding up to it magnificently."  
  
"Yeah," Washu adds. "At first I only wanted Tenchi to choose Ryoko. She had no real life of her own before she met Tenchi. Her entire life revolves around him and nothing makes me happier than to see that he is finally returning the love she so desperately needs." She suddenly looks at him suspiciously. "You know, I could almost guarantee that he would've chosen my little Ryoko and only her. Did you happen to mention anything about him being able to have two wives?"  
  
Yosho looks up to the sky, avoiding her gaze. "I might have mentioned something to him some time ago."  
  
The genius playfully shoves him to the side. "I thought so." They both laugh at each other then go into a warm embrace. She looks at him with a playful smile. "So, what do you think mommy dearest will say when she finds out that her baby boy is knocking boots with a goddess?"  
  
Now it is Yosho's turn to shove Washu to the side. She cackles at him as he flushes lightly at her words. "I do not think that she will mind us being together, but I suggest you not use the phrase 'knocking boots' when you describe our relationship."  
  
Washu shrugs while replying, "Okay, how about getting our freak on?"  
  
Yosho slaps his forehead and drags his hand down his face as the genius laughs merrily at him.  
  
______  
  
The earth begins to shake slightly around the Masaki residence as the roar of engines can be heard overhead. The family leaves the table, where they were having lunch, and go out to the dock to see the emperor and empresses' ships land in a large field near the lake.  
  
"Here we go," Ryoko sighs to everyone.  
  
Azusa, the emperor of Jurai, appears with his two wives, Funaho and Misaki, at his side. Sasami suddenly runs straight towards her mother, screaming, "Mommy! I missed you!"  
  
Misaki also runs to her daughter. "Oh my little Sasami! I missed you too!"  
  
The two meet up in a powerful embrace that lasts several moments. They finally let go when the emperor clears his throat loudly. Sasami suddenly breaks into a mischievous smile. "Guess what mommy?"  
  
"What Sasami?"  
  
The little princess leans in and begins to whisper into her mother's ear. Misaki's eyes go wide and, in the blink of an eye, she is in front of Ayeka, Tenchi and Ryoko. "Oh I'm so happy for you three!" She reaches down and gives all three of them a crushing bear hug. All three gasp for air as Misaki tightens the hug.  
  
She releases them after a few moments, much to their lungs delight. Azusa and Funaho make their way to the rest of the family. Funaho smiles warmly at them. "Hello everybody, it is very nice to see all of you again." She stops as her eyes settle on Kiyone. "Um...who might you be Miss...?"  
  
Kiyone goes into a sharp salute. "I am Lieutenant Kiyone Makibi, Detective First-Class Mihoshi Kuramitsu's partner. I must say that it is an extreme honor to meet the emperor and empresses of the mighty planet Jurai."  
  
"It's nice to meet you too!" Misaki says, jumping in her sister/wife's way and giving Kiyone one of her patented hugs.  
  
She releases Kiyone, who furiously rubs her arms to regain the feeling in them.  
  
"Oh sister!" Misaki shouts while grabbing Funaho's arm, "You'll never guess what has happened!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Tenchi decided!"  
  
The first empress' eyes go wide. "Really!? Wh..." she trails off as she sees Ayeka and Ryoko's arms wrapped around Tenchi's. All three are smiling brightly. Funaho's smile widens. "Ah I see." She leans in to ruffle Tenchi's hair. "Good decision."  
  
"Thank you Lady Funaho," he replies, a light flush coming to his cheeks.  
  
The emperor also catches on. "Ayeka!" he quickly shouts, causing everyone to jump lightly. "Is this true? Are you and this...boy together?"  
  
Ayeka and Ryoko's smiles faded slightly. 'Boy?' they both think at the same time, 'my Tenchi is not a boy!'  
  
The crown princess clears her throat and answers, "Yes Father, my heart has always belonged to him, but just last week he admitted that he feels the same for me!"  
  
"Me too!" Ryoko chimes in happily. They both hug him tightly, causing him to blush slightly again.  
  
Azusa'a eye twitches. "Be that as it may, do you really think that the people of Jurai will welcome Ryoko back with open arms, considering her past history with our planet?"  
  
"F...Father!" Ayeka stammers, "Miss Ryoko was not responsible of her actions back then! Kagato controlled her body and forced her to do all of those terrible things! I saw it firsthand when he came here and tried to kidnap both myself and Sasami!" She stops after her short outburst to recompose herself. "And besides, I am sure Mother and Lady Funaho could make some arrangements and announcements to the people of Jurai to inform them of Miss Ryoko's most unfortunate past."  
  
"Of course we could!" Misaki beams while wrapping an arm around her sister/wife. "Couldn't we sis?"  
  
The first empress smiles warmly. "It would be our pleasure."  
  
The emperor clears his throat loudly, looking sour. "Be that as it may, but there is still one small piece of unsettled business." An odd smile spreads on his face. "There are still several suitors waiting in my ship. I think it to be unfair that they would come all of this way for nothing, so they will all challenge your.choice Ayeka to prove if he is worthy both of your heart and of the throne of Jurai!"  
  
Everyone stares blankly at him. He holds up a hand and snaps his fingers. The air behind him shimmers and about six men appear, the one in front being...  
  
"Oh great," Washu mutters next to Yosho, "Seiryo."  
  
The pink haired man looks around at the house and its scenery, a looks of distaste clearly etched on his face. "Though I must admit that the scenery here is very nice, this house is what takes all of it away. I still do not understand why the princesses can stand to live in such a pathetic place like this!"  
  
Everyone who lives in the house is about to take a step forward, but Tenchi beats him to it. "Okay, I am getting very tired of you insulting my house like this! If you really think that you can defeat me, then come on! I'm more than ready!"  
  
The emperor's eyes widen. 'He's changed,' he thinks to himself. 'I can see that he has become more confident and strong willed. I am impressed...well slightly.'  
  
Tenchi turns to both Ryoko and Ayeka, their eyes shining with nothing but love, and embraces them both.  
  
"Good luck Tenchi," Ayeka whispers into his ear.  
  
"Don't hurt him too much!" Ryoko giggles in his other ear.  
  
The prince turns around and faces Seiryo. He holds out his hands and summons the Tenchi-ken. Its blue blade lights up as the prince takes a fighting stance in front of the suitor.  
  
Seiryo pulls out a similar energy sword and lights it up, its pink blade shining brightly. Behind Tenchi, Ryoko snorts in laughter. "Man, is this guy a little on the girly side or what?"  
  
Everyone, except Azusa and Seiryo, cover their mouths to hide their laughter. A vein starts to throb on the pink haired man's forehead. "Can we start this duel so I can wed the princess now?"  
  
"Sure," the prince calmly replies. The Tenchi-ken's blade suddenly disappears and Tenchi throws the sword aside.  
  
Seiryo smiles broadly. "So I see you have made the wise choice. You could never defeat a being as beautiful and perfect as me. Giving up is the best choice you have ever made."  
  
"I'm not giving up," Tenchi replies, holding out his arms. "I'm just showing you what I'm really made of." Three glowing triangles appear on his forehead.  
  
The Royal Family and all the suitors stare wide-eyes at Tenchi as five, brilliant Lighthawk Wings appear in front of him. Four Wings pass over him, creating his Lighthawk armor. The fifth rises up until it is chest level with him. The prince reaches out and takes it, creating his Lighthawk sword. "So," he begins, a sly smile now on his face, "Shall we duel?"  
  
Seiryo takes a few steps back, looking frightened. He was not expecting this. The emperor and empresses knew that he can summon the Lighthawk Wings, they have just never seen him do it before and all three are both surprised and greatly impressed at the feat.  
  
The pink-haired suitor is now back in the crowd of suitors, all of whom are looking both astonished and frightened. "I did not know that he could perform such an amazing task! The Lighthawk Wings being created by a common farmer boy? How is this possible?"  
  
Ayeka takes this opportunity to speak up. "Obviously you do not know who you are dealing with. This young man is Lord Prince Tenchi, grandson to my brother, Prince Yosho." She turns to look at her brother, who is watching the entire situation bemusedly next to Washu.  
  
"Yeah!" Ryoko shoots in, "so that means he's the one that's gonna be emperor one day and he choose me and Ayeka to be his wives!" She sticks her tongue out at the suitors.  
  
It is then when all the suitors, besides Seiryo, finally take notice of Ryoko. Their moods instantly change from shocked and frightened, to hate filled and vengeance seeking. They have definitely not forgotten what she did to Jurai 700 years ago. They advance on the pirate with weapons ready, when...  
  
"Stop!" Azusa bellows.  
  
Everyone jumps at the emperor's words. He looks around before speaking again. "Miss Ryoko, the former space pirate Ryoko, was innocent of all charges. She was not under control of her own body when she attacked Jurai, she was being used by the nefarious criminal Kagato. I wish to make it clear that she will not be attacked by anyone under any circumstances. Do you understand me?"  
  
Everybody stares at Azusa in utter shock. All the suitors quickly nod their heads to agree with the emperor.  
  
Silent tears are pouring down Ryoko's face. In the blink of an eye, she teleports next to the emperor and wraps him in a strong embrace. "Thank you," she mutters weakly. "Thank you so much. You don't know how much those words mean to me." She tightens the embrace.  
  
Azusa smiles warmly and returns the hug. It is quite a strange sight, the emperor of Jurai hugging the very woman who nearly destroyed it 700 years earlier.  
  
After a few seconds, Ryoko lets go, her eyes shining with tears. Azusa looks over to his family and their friends. "I think it wise to go inside. I could really go for a good cup of tea."  
  
"Oh good!" Sasami squeals, "I'll go make some for everybody right now!" And with that, she runs into the house.  
  
The emperor chuckles at his daughter's enthusiasm. He turns back to look at the suitors. "It seems that I have made a mistake bringing all of you here. My daughter is already taken, making your presence here unneeded. Therefore, all of you shall remain on my ship for the remainder of my stay here." He snaps his fingers again, and all of the suitors shimmer for a moment and disappear, transporting back into the emperor's tree ship.  
  
Everyone else walks back into the house. Azusa notices his son and Washu walking hand in hand. He smiles bemusedly to himself. 'I think I will have a small talk to him later,' he stops as he looks at his great grandson, 'but first things first.' He clears his throat loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Tenchi. I would like to speak with you in private."  
  
The prince scratches the back of his head and looks at his two loves, who nod at him. "Um, okay emperor sir."  
  
"Please, there are no need for formalities," he begins while walking towards him. "After all, we are family."  
  
His wives give him a look of admiration. The prince and the emperor start to walk to the side of the house. The emperor sighs very deeply. "First off, I would like to apologize to you."  
  
"Apologize? What for?"  
  
"I have not been the kindest person to you. I suppose it is because I was angry at my son's decision to leave Jurai and all his titles and formalities to live as a priest at a shrine in a relatively unknown planet. I vented my distaste of his life choice onto you and I apologize for that."  
  
"Its no problem, really."  
  
Azusa chuckles at Tenchi's warm heartedness. "I guess that is another reason I was not too fond of you: you reminded me of myself when I was about your age."  
  
"Really?" Tenchi asks surprised.  
  
"Yes. I was trained to someday become the emperor of Jurai, but I had never really cared too much about that title at the time. I just wanted to travel the universe and enjoy my life as much as I possibly could. That is how I met Funaho." He stops for a moment to smile at the memory. "I came across this planet a long time ago. I landed in an area similar to this one, secluded with endless forest nearby. I was touring through the nearby town when somebody grabbed me and pulled me behind a cottage and tried to rob me. Me, a future ruler of an entire planet being mugged!"  
  
He began to laugh and Tenchi found himself doing the same. "So, what happened next?"  
  
"Well naturally I defended myself. I was going against what you would call a ninja, and a very skilled one at that. The two of us fought for a short while, when I pinned him to the ground. I pulled off his mask to see who would dare to attack me when I found out that 'he' was actually a she."  
  
"Don't tell me?" Tenchi starts, a knowing grin appearing on his face.  
  
"Yes, it was Funaho. I was arranged to wed Misaki and I did love her, but I was captivated by Funaho's beauty. Our 'relationship' was quite rocky at first, but I eventually won her over and told her everything about me. After a good deal of persuading, I got her to come back to Jurai with me. I wanted to marry her, but I knew that she would face a lot of prejudice for not being Jurian. That is where Misaki's mother Lady Seto comes in." He leans in close. "I must warn you, she is nothing like her daughter, very devious and cunning. She thought of the double marriage prospect and somehow got it approved by the Holy Council of Jurai. So I was able to have what I wanted, two women who I love dearly."  
  
The emperor puts a hand on Tenchi's shoulder and rubs it in a very fatherly fashion. "When Misaki and Funaho first met, they fought tooth and nail for my attention. I was completely torn between those two. They were both so similar yet so different at the same time."  
  
"Boy, you were right, I am a lot like you!" Tenchi exclaims. "So how did you get the two of them to stop fighting?"  
  
Azusa shudders involuntarily. "I thought that they never would."  
  
"I know the feeling," Tenchi says in a knowing manner.  
  
"Any way, the two of them finally realized that they were fighting over nothing. I loved them both equally, neither one higher or lower than the other. I could never choose between the two because it would be too painful for me."  
  
"I think that Ryoko and Ayeka came to the same conclusions."  
  
"That warms my heart Tenchi, it truly does." The emperor stands up. "I am proud to know that the future of my planet is in safe and capable hands. Come now Tenchi, the others await. And thank you for the talk."  
  
The prince stands up also. "It was my pleasure great-grandpa, or should it be future father-in-law?"  
  
Azusa frowns. "Good point. I will have to think that over."  
  
The two laugh all the way into the house. Ayeka, Ryoko, Misaki and Funaho are all waiting impatiently by the front door. "So?" Funaho begins, the anticipation clearly noticed in her voice, "How is everything?"  
  
"Perfectly fine," Azusa replies while putting a hand on Tenchi's shoulder. "I was just having a little chat with the future emperor of Jurai."  
  
Everybody's eyes go wide when they hear Azusa'a statement. Tenchi's face goes so red that he looks like he is about to pass out. "Tenchi!" Ayeka and Ryoko quickly exclaim. They lead him over to the living room couch and sit him down.  
  
Azusa is just about to say something when he is caught in a giant bear hug from both of his wives. "I'm so proud of you dear!" Misaki starts.  
  
"Yes, you are finally beginning to realize what Misaki and I have been trying to tell you from the start," Funaho finishes.  
  
Just at that moment, somebody knocks at the front door. Nobuyuki jumps out of his seat and rushes to the door, grinning from ear to ear. He opens the door and talks with whoever it is on the other side for a few moments. He then walks back in with a person that nobody has seen before, well except for Nobuyuki, Tenchi, Yosho. Ryoko has seen him before, but he has aged much since then so she doesn't immediately recognize him.  
  
Tenchi and Yosho's eyes widen as the see the person standing next to Nobuyuki. "Hayato?"  
  
To be continued...  
  
______  
  
Author's notes: For those of you who have read my other series 'The More Things Change...' you will recognize who Hayato is. If you haven't read my other fics, then shame on you! Read up! All will be explained soon.  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Guest Mates and Goddesses 


	13. Guest Mates and Goddesses

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
______  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation as well as the character Hayato. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part Two.  
  
______  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 13:  
  
Guest Mates and Goddesses  
  
______  
  
Hayato stands before his family, his arms crossed and a small smirk on his face. "Hey Tenchi. Long time no see huh?"  
  
Tenchi and Yosho stand flabbergasted staring at the man in front of them. They haven't seen Hayato for several years. This unexpected visit is, needless to say, quite a shock. Hayato is looking directly at Tenchi. He does not know about Yosho actually being Katsuhito so he just dismisses him as one of Tenchi's guests, his Uncle Nobuyuki did say that there were going to be a lot of them.  
  
Tenchi's face suddenly breaks into a huge smile. He walks up to his cousin and they embrace like brothers. Yosho decides to act inconspicuous and just smiles contently. "How've you been Tenchi?" Hayato asks while ruffling the top of Tenchi's head.  
  
That action brings up an old memory in Ryoko's head. "Hey! I remember you!" she suddenly shouts, pointing a finger at Hayato, "You're Tenchi's cousin right? You haven't been around here for a long time."  
  
Hayato turns to look at the pirate. Tenchi has to suppress a chuckle at the startled look on his cousin's face as he eyes Ryoko from head to toe. "We've met before?" he asks while scratching the back of his head. "I think I would remember meeting someone as...exquisite as you."  
  
A slight flush comes to Ryoko's face as everyone in the room chuckles lightly. "Well," Tenchi begins, "she met you...sort of. You never really got a chance to meet her."  
  
Hayato's eyebrows rise up extremely high. "I...uh...you kinda lost me there. Would it be too much of a bother if you'd explain a little better? And..." he gestures around to the very large family in the living room, "perhaps introduce me to everyone? I feel like a major outsider here."  
  
The prince smiles lightly. "Heh, sure. I'm sure we would've been doing a lot of explaining soon anyway."  
  
______  
  
A few hours later, all introductions and explanations are finished. "Whoa," is all Hayato manages to mutter out.  
  
"Yes," Yosho chuckles, "it is quite a lot of information to pull in."  
  
"Well that would explain those three gigantic ship looking things and what looks like an onsen hovering over the lake, and those two talking logs that greeted me when I was making my way onto the grounds."  
  
Misaki suddenly steps forward, looking surprised. "Oops! Silly me! I forgot to have the ships engage their cloaking devices! Just give me a minute, I will be right back!" She makes her way through the small gathering of people and out the front door.  
  
Kiyone, who has been very quiet and has kept mainly to herself for the last week, is watching the entire situation in front of her suspiciously. This guy, Tenchi's cousin, appears just a short while after the Jurai Royal Family comes to earth again. It could just be a coincidence, but Kiyone's old Galaxy Police instincts are kicking in full force. "I have a question for you Mr. Hayato," she asks, pointing an accusing finger at him.  
  
"Please, just call me Hayato. I've never been big on the whole title or formality thing."  
  
Kiyone sighs lightly. "Okay, Hayato, I have a question for you: why did you just suddenly decide to show up?"  
  
Nobuyuki raises a hand. "Uh, I invited him. Right after Tenchi choose," he gives his son a look of admiration, "I called him up in America and asked if he'd like to come by for a while. His father, my brother, and his mother would have come too, but they got tied up with their jobs."  
  
Hayato gives Kiyone a strange smile. "Satisfied?" he asks with a wink.  
  
The GP officer feels her face flush slightly. "I...um...yes," she stammers out.  
  
Mihoshi starts to giggle. "Kiyone, you're starting to turn red. Why is that?" she teases. Her partner wisely chooses not to answer.  
  
Just at that moment, Misaki comes back in, looking as cheerful as she can. "All taken care of! So, did I miss anything?"  
  
"No sister," Funaho responds, looking highly amused, "we just talked a bit."  
  
Hayato clears his throat lightly, gathering everybody's attention. "I just wanted to know where I can put my bags," he reaches behind him and picks up a small dark suitcase and a tan travel bag. "I would go to one of the spare rooms, but I assume that each of them is in use."  
  
"You can toss them in my room," Tenchi exclaims, "and you can stay in my room as well. I'll get a spare sleeping bag for you tonight."  
  
"Thanks cousin!' Hayato shouts while running up the stairs.  
  
Tenchi notices that Kiyone quickly glances over and eyes his cousin up and down, a small smirk on her face. She turns her head, only to discover Tenchi staring pointedly at her, smiling brightly. The GP instantly flushes and directs her gaze to the floor. The prince chuckles at her antics. He looks around, only to notice that something is different. "Is it my imagination, or is the living room bigger?"  
  
"You're not imagining anything Tenchi, I expanded it!" Washu says happily next to Yosho. "I thought a little extra room in here would be appreciated."  
  
"And it is very much," Funaho beams. "Thank you Miss Washu."  
  
"Oh yeah, that reminds me," the genius starts. "Will you three be sleeping in your ships or would you rather stay in the house? I have several very accommodating rooms that you'd enjoy in my lab."  
  
Azusa scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm.I think I would like to stay here. I do enjoy my ship but this house has a much more comfortable and lively feel to it."  
  
Funaho wraps her arms around her husband's right arm. "Good choice dear."  
  
______  
  
A couple hours later, everyone has just finished lunch and they are splitting up into separate groups. Washu and Yosho disappear, nobody knows where they go off to, nor do they want to explore. Ryoko and Ayeka go to do the laundry. Ever since Tenchi admitted his feelings for her, Ryoko has been more into doing chores around the house, something Ayeka is quite grateful for.  
  
The emperor and his two wives relax on the living room couch and watch some television. Misaki quickly took hold of the remote and turned on the daily soap operas, much to Azusa's dismay. Mihoshi goes up to her room for her afternoon nap while Kiyone stays in the living room to talk with the Royal Family, on the commercial breaks of course.  
  
Sasami and Ryo-Ohki go into the kitchen to clean up from lunch. The little princess is so happy that she is bouncing with every step she takes. "Oh Ryo-Ohki, I'm so glad my mommy is back!"  
  
"Me too!" the teen chimes in. Ryo-Ohki always loves getting a lot of attention and Misaki practically bathes her in it. Although she now is constantly in her human teenager form, the empress still insists that she is 'The cutest thing I have even seen!'  
  
Meanwhile out in the vegetable fields, Tenchi and Hayato are busy digging out the weeds. The prince stops for a moment and wipes his brow. "You know you don't have to help me with the fields, I'm fine doing this by myself."  
  
"Oh you worry too much Tenchi. I don't mind a little manual labor. Besides, Uncle Nobuyuki invited me here so I feel kinda obligated to help around the house."  
  
Tenchi smiles warmly at his cousin. "I'm glad you came. It feels nice to have another guy around my age here. That and we desperately needed to try to even out the ratio!"  
  
The two cousins share a good bout of laughter. After several moments, Hayato speaks up, "So tell me, what all is exactly going on between you, Ryoko and Ayeka? Uncle Nobuyuki was very vague."  
  
"Sure, but only if you answer one question for me," he suddenly looks mischievous, a look he doesn't get a whole lot, "what do you think about Kiyone?"  
  
______  
  
"So Ryoko," Ayeka begins, "you mentioned seeing this...Hayato before?"  
  
The pirate stops folding the laundry and looks up thoughtfully. "Yeah, but it's been a while since I've seen him. When I was still trapped in that damn cave," she shudders involuntarily, "I would watch Tenchi every time he ever came near. Every few years or so, his cousin would stay for a little while. It was fun watching those two run around in the forest." She smiles warmly.  
  
The princess joins her. "Oh I wish I could have lived so carefree when I was a child. Unfortunately for me, I was constantly being trained to be a perfect princess and one day, an empress. I never had any real friends."  
  
"Geeze, that sucks. But now that I think about it, I don't even remember my childhood...if I even had one." Her brow furrows in thought. "Hmm, looks like I have something else to talk to Mom about. Hey Ayeka," she starts, while turning towards the crown princess, "would you mind if I go and ask her right now?"  
  
"No, I do not mind," she answers with a kind smile. "Besides, we are almost finished. Go, ask her."  
  
"Thanks princess." And with those words, she teleports away, leaving Ayeka behind to calmly finish folding the laundry.  
  
______  
  
The former space pirate appears in front of the Masaki shrine. "Should've known," she sighs to herself. 'Hey Mom?' she asks telepathically.  
  
Washu, who is talking with Yosho in his office, looks up, completely surprised by the sudden call from her daughter. 'Yes my little Ryoko?' she responds.  
  
'Can we talk?'  
  
'Sure, just give me a minute.' She looks over to Yosho, who is now giving her a funny look. The genius taps her head. "Ryoko."  
  
"Ah, then I will leave you to speak with her privately." The Shinto priest stands up and leaves the office. He notices the pirate standing outside. He smiles warmly at her. "She is waiting inside."  
  
"Thanks." She teleports inside next to her mother. "Hey."  
  
"Hey yourself. So what do you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Ryoko takes a deep breath. "Did I ever have a childhood? Was I ever a kid?"  
  
Washu is completely taken aback by the questions. "W.why have you taken such a sudden interest?"  
  
"Well I was talking to Ayeka and our little chat went towards childhood. I just realized that I don't remember anything about mine."  
  
The former goddess scratches her chin lightly. "Hmm, I was wondering if you were ever going to ask me. You were born in a lab, but you were a baby nonetheless. You grew up like every normal child."  
  
"But why don't I remember anything?" she asks, now getting upset.  
  
"You can blame that ass Kagato for that," she answers, the bitterness in her voice clearly heard. "When he kidnapped me and took control of you, he squashed away all of you memories of your previous life. I'm sorry to say that he succeeded there. You haven't been under his total control for over 700 years, but part of him still affects you." She begins to cry. "Damn it! Why couldn't I have stopped him? He just attacked so quickly and I was so surprised that he would do such a thing, I never saw it coming!"  
  
Ryoko wraps her arms around her mother. "Its okay Mom. He's dead now. He can't tear us apart ever again."  
  
Washu stops crying after a few minutes. "You know," she starts, now sounding hopeful, "I could try to restore all of your old memories of growing up."  
  
"Really?" she asks, her eyes going wide.  
  
"Of course," she brightly replies. "I am Washu, the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe and former Goddess of Wisdom!"  
  
Ryoko moans lightly. "Great, now you've got an even bigger title!"  
  
Washu slaps her daughter on her arm. "Hey! I can't help it if I am so great!"  
  
The pirate groans loudly as her mother cackles merrily next to her.  
  
______  
  
"Wow, so you met Lady Funaho on this planet?"  
  
"Yes," Azusa chuckles, "I met my dear Funaho on this nice little planet." He pats the top of his first wife's hand gently. Funaho smiles warmly.  
  
Misaki leans in closer to her husband's side. "That was such a long time ago honey."  
  
Just at that moment, Ayeka comes downstairs, finally finished with the laundry. "Hello everyone, do you mind if I sit with you?"  
  
"Oh not at all Ayeka," Misaki replies brightly, "come and sit next to Mommy!"  
  
The princess holds in the sigh that is longing to come out and sits next to her mother. Funaho is just about to ask her something when the front door opens and Tenchi and Hayato walk in, both covered in a layer of sweat. "Oh Lord Tenchi," Ayeka starts, "you are done quite early."  
  
The prince scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, it goes a lot faster when I have help." The two of them start to go up the stairs.  
  
"So what are you two doing know?" Funaho asks politely.  
  
"We're getting some clothes and take a quick dip in the onsen. Hayato really wants to check it out."  
  
"Yeah, so does anybody wanna join us?" Hayato asks with a cheery smile.  
  
"Ooh!" comes a boisterous voice from the top of the stairs. Everyone turns to see Mihoshi, now fully awake. "I'd love to take a dip!"  
  
Hayato's face flushes lightly. "I...uh...wow, I really didn't expect anybody to accept the offer!" He scratches the back of his head, looking amazingly a lot like his cousin at the moment.  
  
"So...you don't want me to go and wash up with you?" Mihoshi's voice holds a tint of seductiveness in it. Everyone who knows the GP officer well is in utter shock at what she has just said. She has changed a lot from the klutzy carefree woman they once knew, more into the person Kiyone remembered years ago.  
  
Hayato, on the other hand, just goes a deeper shade of red. "I...I..." he sighs deeply, "oh well, I...I guess you can join us." He shakes his head lightly. 'Oh that went real well!' he thinks sarcastically to himself. 'Next time I should just keep my big mouth shut!'  
  
Kiyone suddenly stands up. "You know, I would like to wash up too. I think I will join you."  
  
"Really?" Mihoshi squeals, "That's great!"  
  
Tenchi and Hayato both look at each other and exchange knowing glances. "Alright then," Tenchi responds, "see you in the onsen girls!" The two young men go up the stairs and go into Tenchi's room.  
  
Mihoshi and Kiyone both run up to their room. They dig through their clothes and find something nice to change into. "So Mihoshi," Kiyones begins while picking up a large white sweater and tight black pants, "why exactly did you decide to go in the onsen with Tenchi and Hayato?"  
  
"Oh no reason really," the blonde replies, a strange twinkle in her eyes. "Tenchi's cousin is new here and we really don't know a thing about him. When we're in the onsen, I wanna talk to him."  
  
"Is that the only reason?" Kiyone asks with a frown.  
  
"No," her partner giggles. "I think he's kinda cute, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so," she whispers out, avoiding Mihoshi's glare.  
  
The blonde giggles harder. "I thought so! You have a crush on him!" And with that, she grabs a change of clothes and bounces out of their room.  
  
Kiyone grabs her hair and tugs at it in frustration. "Argh!" she screams. "I've got to learn to keep my big mouth shut around her!" She looks around the room, taking in the giant mess of clothes courtesy of her partner. She sighs deeply. "Oh well, I better clean this up first."  
  
______  
  
Ryoko and Washu appear in the genius' lab. They are in the experimentation area of the lab. Ryoko floats around, looking at some of the alien creatures confined within the area. After a few minutes of exploring, she teleports in front of her mother. "So now what are you going to do?"  
  
"First off, I want you to lay down on that table over there."  
  
The pirate does what she is asked. Right when she lies down, the machines around the table come to life and start emitting flashes of light and beeping noises. Ryoko winces lightly, expecting a bunch of metal cables to come up and wrap around her tightly. When none do, she sighs in relief.  
  
"What?" Washu asks, sounding amused, "Did you think I was going to tie my only daughter up? Oh come now, you should give me better credit than that."  
  
"Yeah? Well I still haven't forgotten what you did to me before," she responds angrily. "You may be my mom, but that doesn't mean that I completely trust you." She looks over to Washu, only to discover that she is crying.  
  
"I...I'm sorry," she whispers out, her lower lip trembling, "I never meant to hurt you. I told you before why I did that to you. I promise that I will never do that to you ever again. All I want to do now is to help you, to guide you, to be a good mother."  
  
The pirate smirks at her. "Ah you don't need to get all mushy on me now mom. So you want to be a good mom? Well you can start by giving me back all my memories of growing up, okay?"  
  
Washu sniffs and wipes the tears out of her eyes. "Alright then, let's get this show on the road!"  
  
______  
  
Kiyone smiles contently to herself. All the clothes that were strewn about are now folded and put away properly. 'I swear, Mihoshi can be such a pig sometimes!' she thinks with a frown. 'But she does have such a sweet and gentle heart.' The GP reaches over and grabs her clothes and turns to go out the door, only to drop her clothes in surprise and bow deeply at the person in front of her.  
  
Standing proudly in front of the door, wearing a beautiful crown over her long light brown hair and an elaborate and stunning gown, is Tokimi, the goddess of Justice. "Hello Lieutenant Makibi," she starts, her voice sounding sweet and warm, "it is nice to see you again."  
  
To be continued...  
  
______  
  
Author's notes: I know I haven't done much with this series lately, Sorry. I've just been busy with my other stories to remember to get back to my 'roots' so to speak. Now in the story, I'm trying to focus on all characters equally, since they all have interesting stories to tell. -- lighthawkdemon  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next episode: Onsen Romances 


	14. Onsen Romances

Tenchi Muyo!  
  
______  
  
Disclaimer: This episode of Tenchi Muyo! is of my own creation as well as the character Hayato. I do not own any portion of Tenchi Muyo. "Tenchi Muyo!" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1992-2003 AIC Inc. and Pioneer LDC. All rights reserved.  
  
Note: This episode takes place shortly after the events of Tenchi Muyo! Special Episode: Here Comes Jurai Part Two.  
  
______  
  
Of Happiness and Sorrow  
  
Episode 14:  
  
Onsen Romances  
  
______  
  
Tokimi stands proudly over her servant, Galaxy Police officer Kiyone Makibi. She suddenly frowns as she notices Kiyone begin to tremble in fear while still bowing deeply at her. The goddess reaches over and pulls the GP officer up into a standing position. She was able to look into her eyes for a brief moment and see pure terror in them. She is now frowning even more. "Tell me my child," she begins in her soft, soothing voice, "why are you so afraid?"  
  
"I failed you my Lady," Kiyone whispers out. "I failed the mission you gave to me and now you are going to punish me." She starts to tremble more after these words.  
  
The goddess sighs lightly and smiles. "Look at me," she calmly commands.  
  
Kiyone does as she is ordered to do and looks into her Lady's deep, beautiful eyes. She instantly feels a calm relief flow through her, though she is still frightened at what her punishment will be.  
  
"You have not failed me in any way and henceforth you will not be punished," Tokimi says calmly. "In fact, you proceeded with the mission exactly as I had planned and you fulfilled it perfectly."  
  
The teal haired woman raises an eyebrow in confusion at the goddess. "But what are you talking about my Lady? You told me to get together with Tenchi."  
  
The Goddess of Justice 'tsks' loudly while crossing her arms and shaking her head from side to side slowly. "That is the problem with you children today, you never fully listen! I ordered you to get closer to young Masaki, closer, not together. You, my dear, were the key element in helping him in his decision and the full unlocking of all of his powers."  
  
"Oh," Kiyone meekly replies. She lowers her head in sadness and shame. "I thought you wanted me to get together with him. I would've liked that because I really liked him, he is so...different from all the others men I've been with in the past."  
  
"Yes, he is quite special," Tokimi agrees, thinking about her first 'meeting' with him about a week ago. 'Such stamina!' she thinks with a sultry smile. The goddess shakes her head of those thoughts and brings them back to her servant. She places a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. "I am sorry that you misinterpreted what I was ordering you to do, but I can make it up to you in a way. It waits for you right at this moment and if you do not hurry to it, it just might get taken." She grabs her shoulders and begins to push her out the door with her change of clothes. "Go on now, I will contact you if I have another mission for you."  
  
Kiyone mutters a quick, "Thank you my Lady," before the goddess tosses her out of the room and closes the door.  
  
Tokimi smiles to herself and is about to leave when the air next to her shimmers with a mystical light as her younger sister Tsunami appears in all her glory. "That was quite sweet of you sister," she says in her rich, lovely voice.  
  
"Thank you Tsunami, though I must admit, I heavily enjoyed trying to be the matchmaker this time."  
  
The Goddess of Light places a hand over her mouth and giggles lightly. "Yes, Washu and myself have been wondering if you were ever going to join in." She suddenly frowns and puts her hands on her hips, a look that is not too common for her. "I know what you did with Tenchi, and on the day he chose! How could you?"  
  
Now it is Tokimi's turn to place a hand over her mouth and giggle lightly. "Oh come now Tsunami, tell me you were never interested in him, even a little bit." Tsunami turns her head away, but the light flush across her cheeks can easily be seen. Tokimi's smile turns mischievous. "I thought so. He must have a curse on him or something where every interstellar woman he comes into contact with develops instantaneous feelings of want and desire for him." She chuckles after this comment. "Also, the boy is destined to be the ultimate ruler of the universe and husband to both my Champion and the Champion of Washu. I was interested in seeing if he was worthy."  
  
"And was he?" Tsunami huffs.  
  
"Oh yes," the elder goddess purrs. "He met my expectations, and exceeded them!"  
  
______  
  
"Hey Kiyone," Hayato starts, noticing the GP finally enter the floating onsen, "I was wondering if you were coming or not." He, Tenchi and Mihoshi are relaxing in the newest addition to the onsen, a large circular Jacuzzi. Ryoko decided to add it in a few days ago after hearing how comfortable they are from Nobuyuki, who was in one once a long time ago when he and his wife first married. Hayato and Mihoshi are both drinking a little bit of saké to help them relax even more.  
  
"Oh, I've been meaning to try that hot tub thingie out," Kiyone ponders out loud. "So how is it?"  
  
"It's great Kiyone!" Mihoshi happily states. "Hurry up and come on in!"  
  
Her partner wastes no time in sprinting into the changing room and coming out very shortly afterwards in a large white towel. She gets in and sits down next to Mihoshi, so where those two are on one side of the Jacuzzi while Tenchi and Hayato are on the other side. The water jets feel extremely comfortable on her body so she wiggles down a bit so they are now spraying her entire back. "Wow, this is heaven!" she loudly exclaims.  
  
The three other people in the hot tub with her chuckle lightly. Tenchi sinks in down to his neck and sighs happily. "I'm glad Ryoko put this in. This hot tub really helps to soothe my tired muscles."  
  
"That's for sure," Hayato adds while taking a small sip of his saké. He looks over to Kiyone, who has closed her eyes and is relaxing happily letting the water jets do their work. He then looks over to Tenchi and Mihoshi, who nod slightly.  
  
The Champion of Tsunami closes his eyes and lies back, hoping that the first step in he, Hayato and Mihoshi's plan works out well.  
  
Hayato scoots forward towards Mihoshi and lifts one of her long, slender legs and places them on his lap. With one last look towards Kiyone and another nod from Mihoshi, Hayato begins to give the dark skinned GP a foot massage.  
  
Mihoshi giggles loudly as his fingers touch a sensitive spot on her left foot. "Be careful, I'm really ticklish there," she coos at him.  
  
This instantly gets Kiyone's attention as her eyes shoot open. Her eyes sink in the vision in front of her: Tenchi is sitting down across from her with his eyes closed and appears to be sleeping, Hayato is intently looking down at the dark foot in his lap and is gently massaging it and her partner is now laying back with a happy smile on her face and a light flush across her cheeks. Whether it is from the saké or from something else, she cannot tell. A strange sense of jealousy wells up inside of her. 'What?' her mind shouts, 'why am I feeling jealous? I mean I barely know this guy and all he's doing is giving Mihoshi a foot massage.'  
  
Suddenly, another voice pops up inside of her head, 'Why are you lying to yourself? Just admit it, you already really like this guy and you want to be the one getting your foot massaged by him.'  
  
Kiyone sighs deeply and grumpily looks away. Mihoshi giggles again and Kiyone strongly fights the urge to hit her very hard on the head. 'Damn it, I can't believe I'm already getting into this guy.'  
  
Mihoshi glances at her partner and happily notes the very grumpy look on her face. 'She must like him more than I thought!' she thinks with a smile. 'I hope that Hayato is noticing how jealous she looks.'  
  
The aforementioned cousin of Tenchi is meanwhile still gently giving the dark skinned beauty her foot massage. 'Her skin is so soft,' he thinks in awe. 'And it is so dark too! With her bright blue eyes and yellow hair...I've never met anyone so beautiful before!' He stops for a moment and blinks a few times. 'Wait a minute, I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on Kiyone! That's why I'm doing this in the first place, to see if she gets jealous. If she does, then that must mean that she likes me!' He smiles and glances over at the teal haired GP. His eyes go wide and he quickly looks back at Mihoshi's foot and continues to massage it. 'Whoa, she looks pissed! Can she like me that much already? Naw, it's just my imagination.' He places Mihoshi's left foot down and picks up her right and begins to massage that one as well.  
  
The blonde squirms a little in his grasp. She looks over and can tell by the look on his face that he saw Kiyone and is doing a lot of thinking. 'Good, hopefully we can get those two together soon...but after this massage! Ooh this feels sooo good!' She giggles once more and swears that she hears Kiyone growl at her.  
  
______  
  
"Alright, we're done."  
  
Ryoko pulls the strange helmet looking device off of her head and sits up on the table. She is in a brief state of awe at the new, yet old memories that are flooding through her consciousness. Washu warily walks up to her, holding a hand over her heart. "Is everything okay?" she slowly asks. "How are you feeling?"  
  
The pirate turns her head towards her mother. Their eyes are locked for several moments, neither daring to make a sound. Ryoko's eyes suddenly fill up with tears just as she runs, arms outstretched, towards Washu. "Mommy!" she shouts just as the two embrace in a warm hug. "I remember," she cries out. "I remember everything! Thank you so much! Now I finally have a past!"  
  
The former goddess pats her daughter calmly on the head while whispering out, "Anything for you, my precious little Ryoko."  
  
______  
  
Yosho is meanwhile sitting down in his shrine office drinking some green tea. He looks up as someone knocks on the office door. "You may come in," he responds politely. The former prince is not surprised to see his father and his mother come walking in. "Ah, Mother, Father. Just give me a moment to get you both cups so you can have some tea."  
  
"Thank you Yosho," Funaho replies. The emperor and his first wife sit down in front of the table near the window. The empress gazes out the window, a slightly wistful look adorning her face. "It is always such a pleasure to be back home."  
  
Yosho walks back to his parents with two cups. He gives them one and pours them some tea. "I noticed that Misaki is not with you at this moment. Where is she?"  
  
"She is in the kitchen helping Sasami with dinner," Azusa replies. He takes a small sip of his green tea before continuing. "There is something we need to discuss with you Yosho."  
  
The Shinto priest sighs deeply. "I still have no interests in becoming emperor Father. I enjoy my quiet little life here on earth and I wish to remain here for the rest of my days."  
  
Funaho smiles warmly. "That is not what we wished to speak to you about Yosho. Your father, Misaki and myself have discussed this matter and have agreed that Tenchi is your rightful heir to the throne of Jurai. He will make a grand leader of the people. Besides, your father said earlier that Tenchi was to rule didn't he?"  
  
Yosho sweat drops slightly. "Oh, you...you did? Well I...uh..."  
  
The empress closes her eyes and begins to speak in an annoyed tone. "As usual, children never listen to their parents when they are discussing something important to them."  
  
Azusa chuckles lightly. The former prince and great swordsman gulps loudly. "If you did not wish to speak to me about that matter, then what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"  
  
Funaho reaches into her robes and pulls out a small circular device that looks like it has been carved from one of the royal trees. "Our Lady Tsunami came to me in a dream and informed me of Tenchi's decision to give Ryoko back her other two gems. That meant that your tree would begin to die, causing you to do so as well." She reaches over and places the device in her son's hands. "One thing a parent never wishes to do is live longer than their children. This device was blessed by Tsunami and her incredible powers. When you place it on a royal tree bonded to a member of the Jurai Royal Family whose tree has taken root on a planet other than Jurai or any of its subsidiaries, it will give it the life that it would normally have had it not taken root."  
  
Yosho stares at the small device in his hands in awe. "You...you mean..."  
  
Azusa smiles slightly. "Yes Yosho. With that device, you will live out your normal Jurai life expectancy, meaning that you still have a very long time to live."  
  
The priest smiles widely. "I was somewhat concerned over how much longer I had to live. Now I have a much longer time to even think about worrying about that. Mother, Father, thank you." He stands up and bows deeply to them both.  
  
The emperor and first empress also stand up and bow to their son. "You are welcome," Funaho responds, "but it is not us who you should be thanking. You should be thanking Lady Tsunami."  
  
Yosho smirks lightly. "I think I will."  
  
"There is one more matter we wish to discuss with you," Azusa adds.  
  
"And that is?"  
  
Funaho smiles widely. "Your relationship with Miss Washu Hakubi." Yosho sweat drops again while scratching the back of his head nervously.  
  
______  
  
Ayeka is sitting out on the second floor porch knitting a purple sweater. Her mind occasionally lingers on her friend Ryoko, and if she was able to get her old memories back. "I do hope so," she whispers aloud. "It is a terrible thing not remembering your childhood."  
  
As if she was summoned, Ryoko teleports in right in front of the first crown princess. She remains floating in midair while placing her hands on her hips calmly. "Hey."  
  
The princess is instantly on her feet, clasping her hands together. "So? Did it work?"  
  
Ryoko grins widely. "Yep. It's funny, but I feel kinda...whole now." She suddenly wraps her arms around Ayeka in a great big hug. "Thank you so much Ayeka. If it hadn't been for our little chat, I would've never thought about my childhood like that."  
  
Ayeka smiles warmly and returns the hug with her good friend happily. "Think nothing of it Ryoko. I am just glad that you have all of you memories back."  
  
"Me too princess. Me too."  
  
______  
  
Tenchi, Hayato, Mihoshi and a slightly grumpy, although she's trying to hide it, Kiyone leave the floating onsen. The three non-grumpy people are happily chatting on about the hot tub and how comfortable it is. Kiyone stays a step or two behind the group, remaining relatively silent. Her quiet thinking and somewhat broody mood is interrupted by Tenchi calling her name. "Kiyone? Hey Kiyone?"  
  
"Hmm? What is it Tenchi?" the GP responds.  
  
"I was planning on taking Ryoko and Ayeka out tomorrow night and I was wondering if you wanted to come along with us."  
  
"W...what!" she asks startled. "Why would you want me to come with you?"  
  
The prince scratches the back of his head. "Well...I noticed that you've been a little down lately so I figured that maybe going out would cheer you up."  
  
"That's really sweet of you Tenchi, but I wouldn't want to get in you and Ryoko and Ayeka's way. I'd feel too much like a third wheel."  
  
"Actually," Mihoshi chimes in, "you'd be more like a fourth wheel!"  
  
Kiyone grumbles angrily and looks to the side. Luckily for Tenchi and Hayato, she didn't see their shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter. The prince quickly regains his composure and speaks up again. "Well if you feel that way, how about you go with Hayato?"  
  
The teal haired GP freezes in her tracks. "G...go with Hayato?" she questions. "What does he think about it?"  
  
"I think it's a wonderful idea," Tenchi's cousin replies. "I'm sure that we'd both have a lot of fun."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"Sure!" Hayato says with a cheery smile. "I know that you've got to have a bunch of really neat stories about your job, and I'm a great listener!"  
  
Kiyone's cheeks go a slight shade of red as she smiles as well. "Okay then, it's a date!" She looks up at the sky, thinking, 'You were right my Lady! Thank you so much!'  
  
______  
  
Meanwhile, Washu is in her lab, watching the events unfold with Kiyone and their newest houseguest, Hayato. She clasps her hands together and makes a very cute face. "Aww," she begins in her childish voice, "young love!"  
  
To be continued... ______  
  
Author's notes: For those of you who don't read my 'The More Things Change...' storyline, I specifically created the character Hayato for Kiyone. She is one of my favorite characters but the prospect of something really going on between her and Tenchi is quite difficult what with several very beautiful interstellar women already after his heart. This way Kiyone stays happy and so do I for not leaving her without someone. -- lighthawkdemon  
  
Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com  
  
Next Episode: The First Date 


End file.
